Two Umno MPs have reportedly denied links to an individual who is purportedly behind the firm that hired a US lobbyist to act on behalf of Putrajaya.

This followed Pandan MP Mohd Rafizi Ramli’s statement earlier today claiming that Johor Baru MP Shahrir Abdul Samad and Pulai MP Nur Jazlan Mohamed had known the individual, who is the president of a Johor Baru NGO.

Rafizi claimed that the person is the same individual who had signed off an agreement as the director of Godfrey Group Ltd, which, according to documents lodged at the US Department of Justice (DOJ), had hired the US firm the 45 Group and its chief executive officer Healy Baumgardner-Nardone as lobbyists for the Malaysian government.

US law requires lobbyists acting on behalf of foreign interests to register themselves with the DOJ under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (Fara), which in turn makes the documents available for public scrutiny.

The Malay Mail Online (MMO) quoted Sharir Samad as acknowledging that he had met the individual and that he was aware of the NGO's activities to aid the elderly and children from low-income families. However, he reportedly said he was not aware of the individual’s personal activities.

“[But] I am not aware of the person's association, if any, with Godfrey Group and neither am I aware of Godfrey Group itself,” he reportedly told the online news portal.

Likewise, the MMO quoted Nur Jazlan as saying that he only knew the individual in the person's capacity as the head of an NGO.

“I don't know the person's personal activities,” he reportedly said.

In Rafizi’s statement this morning, he claimed the Johor Baru NGO's president is the same person as Godfrey Group’s director, based on an address found in DOJ’s records on the 45 Group.

The document stated that Godfrey Group was incorporated in the British Virgin Islands, but listed an address in Johor Baru as its registered office.

He claimed that the individual also knew Shahrir and Nur Jazlan based on photos and news reports about the duo’s attendance at the NGO’s activities, which also mentioned that Shahrir is the NGO’s director.

He urged Shahrir to disclose whether he had any involvement in Godfrey Group, and Nur Jazlan to explain the individual’s links to Malaysia’s leaders such that Godfrey Group would claim to be acting on the government’s behalf.

Malaysiakini contacted Shahrir and Nur Jazlan after receiving Rafizi’s statement. Malaysiakini also contacted the Johor Baru NGO president for comment, and is awaiting a response.

Official denial

The prime minister’s press aide Tengku Sariffuddin Tengku Ahmad denied that Malaysia had appointed Godfrey Group, the 45 Group, or Baumgardner-Nardone to act as the government’s lobbyist.

“We always welcome friends from around the world who rightly point out that Malaysia has a successful business-friendly economy open to trade and investment, and is a moderate Muslim-majority country which, under Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's leadership, is a firm partner in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism.

“However, contrary to recent media reports and a registration statement, neither the Prime Minister's Office nor government of Malaysia has instructed, appointed or contracted in any form with the Godfrey Group Ltd, the 45 Group or Healy Baumgardner-Nardone,” he said on Friday last week.

This is despite documents submitted by Baumgardner-Nardone under Fara stating that she represents the Prime Minister’s Office and deals with Najib.

Meanwhile, Shahrir reportedly slammed Rafizi for hurling accusations based entirely on conjecture.

“Typical of Rafizi to make claims like this, without any proof, and without concern about damaging the reputation of people in his claims. PMO has already issued a denial of this,” MMO quoted him as saying.