Taking a photograph is hardly a betrayal compared to the selling of 1MDB's energy asset Edra Global Energy Bhd to China's General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN), said PKR president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

"We have witnessed how the energy asset of 1MDB has been sold to a Chinese company where local company Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) was not given a chance to purchase it," she said during her policy address at the PKR national congress in Petaling Jaya today.

"This is a betrayal, not taking a photograph with (Sulu princess Jacel Kiram)," she said.

While she did not mention her daughter and PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar, she was referring to the government probing the Lembah Pantai MP over the incident.

Wan Azizah said the Chinese acquisition is likely to result in power tariff hikes which would burden the rakyat.

"(The sale) is because we want to bail out 1MDB [...] this is obviously an economic betrayal which disregards the negative impact and the public's interests," she said.

"What else do we have to sell? Dear Malaysians, please wake up. What else do we want to sell to financially support 1MDB?" she asked.

The opposition had questioned if the RM9.83 billion deal was successful when the state-owned investment arm had invested RM12 billion for the purchase of the independent power producer.

'Stop bullying Nurul Izzah'

Nurul Izzah herself landed in hot soup following a picture uploaded to Facebook on Nov 9 by Jacel, whose father had ordred the Lahad Datu instrusion in 2013 that claimed the lives of nine security personnel.

The Lembah Pantai MP has said that Jacel was just one of the 15 guests at a meeting hosted by the Council on Philippine Affairs, the Asian Institute for Democracy the Office of the City Mayor of Manila and the Office of the Vice-President of the Philippines.

Police yesterday recorded her statement over the incident.

Today, Pakatan Harapan women leaders and lawmakers demanded that BN immediately stop bullying Nurul over the 'trivial' issue of the photograph with Jacel and also for a motion for her to be hauled up before Parliament's rights and privileges committee

"The government creates much hullabaloo over the photograph which shows the authorities' desperation to demonise an opposition leader in an attempt to destroy her reputation," said DAP vice-president Teresa Kok, reading out a joint press statement.

The group also conducted a protest of the 'dirty tactics' used against the PKR vice-president.

"The photographs were not uploaded by Nurul to offend Sabahans. Nurul has sincerely apologised for the said unplanned meeting which was hosted by the office of the vice-president of the Philippines.

"There is no precedent for a parliamentarian to be referred to the rights and privileges committee for an action that occurred outside the Parliament," they said.

Thus, the group added the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Azalina Said Othman has abused her ministerial position by filing a motion in Parliament to take action against Nurul.

"We call for immediate end to this bullying, targeted against a credible people's representative and legislator. The government need to focus on real issues, including putting serious efforts toward nation-building, "the group noted.

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