Foreign Minister Anifah Aman told the Kuala Lumpur High Court today he was offered RM100 million and the deputy prime minister post by Anwar Ibrahim's camp to defect and bring 10 Sabah MPs to join Pakatan Rakyat in order to form a new government in 2008.

Replying to questions from his counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, he named the person from Anwar's camp as Ishak Ismail, the former KFC chairperson.

He said Ishak made him the offer when the minister was at the Hilton Hotel in KL Sentral.

"I was upset about the offer and felt it was cheap as I was a three-term MP. I told Ishak, 'Don't you ever repeat those words'.

"I had stated in my speech in Parliament in May 2008 that I rejected a post as a deputy minister as I was upset with the federal government (under Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) for not giving recognition to MPs from Sabah and Sarawak.

"However, I stated in Parliament then that despite being upset with the position and that BN had lost five states, I would not jump ship," he said.

The Foreign Minister told the court that two other Sabah MPs – Ronald Kiandee, who was the deputy Dewan Rakyat speaker, and Tenom MP Raimee Unggi – witnessed the offer made by Ishak.

Anifah, when asked by Shafee ( right ), said he cannot remember the actual date of the meeting, whether it was after his meeting with Sabah MPs in Macau or in another meeting with Sabah MPs in Le Meridien, Kota Kinabalu.

In the 2008 general elections, BN won 140 out of 222 parliament seats, while the opposition Pakatan Rakyat had 82. Anwar-led Pakatan needed another 30 BN MPs to defect to form a new government.

The minister was testifying in Anwar’s RM100 million defamation suit over a statement which he made in a press conference in Washington DC in May 2009, alleging that Anwar attempted to buy several MPs and had offered him the deputy prime minister’s post.

This was over Anwar’s assertion that a new government will be formed by Pakatan Rakyat by Sept 16, 2008, following the opposition had made inroads by denying BN a two-third majority and capturing five states.

Anifah agrees it was corporate figure who made offer

Earlier during cross-examination by Anwar’s counsel Razlan Hadri Zulkifli, Anifah agreed that the monetary offer was not made by the opposition leader but by a corporate figure named "Ishak".

The minister said he got to know that several MPs had claimed they were offered money from the opposition and they had informed him.

“Even (Housing and Local Government Minister) Abdul Rahman Dahlan ( left ) told Parliament that he had received an offer,” he said.

Anwar, in his testimony in court on Aug 14 this year, had said Anifah was ready to defect then, if Pakatan had the numbers.

The opposition leader, who is also Permatang Pauh MP, told the court that he would not divulge details on who was willing to jump ship then, when asked many times by Shafee.

When asked further by Razlan Hadri, the foreign minister admitted he did not lodge a police report over the alleged offer made by Ishak at the Hilton KL Sentral since he (Ishak) did not repeat the offer.

 

Anifah added the offer made by the corporate figure was after a trip he took to Macau.

 

Anifah told the court earlier that sometime in May or June 2008, while at the Low Cost Carrier Terminal on his return from Macau, he received a call from a Sabah businessman by the name of Tony Vun, who was in Hong Kong with Anwar.

 

“I answered the phone and Vun later handed the phone to Anwar. It was at this time (that) Anwar made the offer in terms that I mentioned. The conversation over the phone was about 10 minutes where I said I was not interested and declined the offer.

 

“Anwar felt that I had influence over other Sabah MPs, following my outburst in Parliament,” he said.

 

Anwar: People will believe if I don't sue

Anifah admitted this was the first time that he is revealing the RM100 million offer made by Anwar's camp.

 

When asked by Razlan Hadri if it was odd for Anwar to be talking to him over the phone despite the two not having met since 1999, Anifah said he did not find it strange.

 

In the afternoon session, Anifah told the court that he met Anwar again in Parliament sometime in 2009, upon his return from the United States.

 

Anwar, Anifah said, had invited him for teh tarik and he accepted.

He said that was when he asked the opposition leader why he is being sued despite what he had said about the offer was true.

 

The Foreign Minister said at this point in time, Anwar told him he had to sue because if he didn't, people will believe the claim.

 

Following this, Razlan Hadri objected to the question and to Anifah's answer, because Anwar was not in court to verify such claims.

 

Shafee however said this was to prove the opposition leader's “hypocrisy”.

Judicial Commissioner Siti Khadijah Badjenid then allowed the question.

 

Revelation at press conference 'not meant to be reported'

Anifah also told the court that what he said at a press conference in Washington DC which he hosted with then secretary of state Hilary Clinton, was for the consumption of the American audience.

 

“Although I did not say "off the record", I meant that it was for the information of the newsmen in Washington, and not meant to be reported,” he said when asked by Razlan Hadri.

 

At the press conference, a Reuters reporter had asked whether Clinton had pointed out the US government’s objection of Anwar's latest sodomy charge, which seemed politically motivated.

 

Instead of answering the question, Anifah reacted by mentioning the alleged offer made by Anwar.

 

Anifah admitted he does not remember whether a protest note was sent to Washington following the Obama administration’s objection to the sodomy II case against Anwar which they said was politically motivated.

 

Although the international press did not carry Anifah's response, a video recording of the press conference and transcript was made available on the US State Department website and this was picked up and published by The Star , resulting in Anwar’s suit.

 

Anifah said he did not ask The Star to retract its report because they had removed it from the online version.

 

Former PKR supreme council member Ansari Abdullah, a second defence witness in the trial, admitted that Vun told him that he did call Anifah on behalf of Anwar.

 

He also told the court that Anifah was the best person to be the deputy prime minister from Sabah because of his tertiary education and the influence he had over other Sabah MPs.

 

The court also expunged Anifah's testimony over Anwar's alleged sexual orientation but allowed the evidence that the opposition leader was found guilty of abusing his power over the first sodomy allegation.

 

The hearing continues tomorrow.