Had the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) turned up at PKR
 
 de facto
 
 leader Anwar Ibrahim's office this morning, they would have walked away with a copy of the 14-minute full video clip dubbed the 'Lingam tape'.
 


 Anwar had insisted all along -
 
 <a href="/news/73939" target="_blank">
 confirmed
 </a>
 
 by his aide as recently as yesterday - that all the officers would get from him was the eight-minute version, in order to protect the identity of the two unnamed sources who recorded the footage in 2002.


 ACA officers, who were scheduled to have met Anwar at 11am, called off their plan at the last minute "until further notice".


 Today was also the
 
 <a href="/news/73813" target="_blank">
 deadline
 </a>
 
 set by the ACA for Anwar to hand in the original version of the 14-minute clip, failing which he could have been prosecuted under the ACA Act. This carries a maximum two-year jail term, fine up to RM10,000, or both, on conviction.


 <img align="left" alt="" border="0" height="238" hspace="7" src="http://corp.malaysiakini.com/cms/ib/data/4/100/25138.jpg" style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 238px" width="320"/>
 At a packed press conference, Anwar - flanked by his lawyer Sankara Nair and party leaders - confirmed to reporters that he had "told the ACA that I am giving them what they want, (and) what they requested will be given".


 
 However, he was evasive when journalists grilled him if this meant the 14-minute version of the clip - after being asked the same question repeatedly, he finally confirmed this.
 
 <a href="/news/74007" target="_blank">
 (Read excerpts here)
 </a>
 
 


 On whether he has obtained the consent from the whistleblowers to do so, he merely said "they have been informed" and declined to respond as to whether the duo had agreed or not.


 On Oct 5, he said he had given a
 
 <a href="/news/73275" target="_blank">
 guarantee
 </a>
 
 of the sources' safety and that they would only come forward if a royal commission of inquiry provides them legal immunity.


 
 
 Grip on thumb drive
 
 


 Asked to explain if "giving them what they want" meant that the ACA would receive the 14-minute version, he replied: "Yes, that is between me and them because to me, this thumb drive (which he said contained the full copy of the clip) is only meant for them."


 <img align="right" alt="" border="0" height="224" hspace="7" src="http://corp.malaysiakini.com/cms/ib/data/4/100/25146.jpg" style="WIDTH: 180px; HEIGHT: 224px" width="180"/>
 Waving the thumb drive which was strapped tightly around his right wrist, he then said: "I want to see their reaction before I release it to the public."


 Anwar also sidestepped questions as to whether his intention to hand in the full clip could now be interpreted as giving in to pressure.


 "We don't want to give an impression that we are not giving cooperation (to the authorities)," he said.


 At the same time, Anwar described the threat to use Section 22 of the ACA Act against him and two other party members as "abuses of power" and that his lawyers had advised him to file a legal challenge to set aside the
 
 <a href="/news/73813" target="_blank">
 ACA notice
 </a>
 
 .


 On the unexpected absence of the ACA officers today, Anwar said no reason has been given and he too did not know the reason for the last-minute cancellation.


 "I failed to understand (this). It could be that the ACA officers are forced to refer to the top if I do give all the evidence and (have to decide) what (they will) do next," he said.


 <img align="right" alt="" border="0" height="151" hspace="7" src="http://corp.malaysiakini.com/cms/ib/data/4/100/25148.jpg" style="WIDTH: 250px; HEIGHT: 151px" width="250"/>
 He disclosed that the ACA officers had phoned him at 11am to say they were on their way to his office in Petaling Jaya. Ten minutes later, they called to cancel the appointment.


 "They said they were instructed to cancel the meeting until further notice," he said, quoting ACA special task branch head Sazali Salbi, who had led the investigation team in questioning Anwar for the second time on Monday.


 Anwar would not say whether he would now go to the ACA office to hand in the clip.


 Sazali, when contacted, said he has been directed not to issue any statement to the media. ACA director-general Ahmad Said Hamdan could not be reached for immediate comment.


 
 
 Strong support
 
 


 This morning, about 100 people, including party supporters and foreign journalists, had gathered at Anwar's office in anticipation of the arrival of the ACA team.


 <img align="left" alt="" border="0" height="170" hspace="7" src="http://corp.malaysiakini.com/cms/ib/data/4/100/25142.jpg" style="WIDTH: 250px; HEIGHT: 170px" width="250"/>
 Supporters held banners reading 'Anwar a hero, corruption fighter', 'Go after corrupt persons, not whistleblowers' and chanted slogans calling on investigation into allegations of malpractice in the judiciary.


 Party leaders took turns to deliver short speeches before Anwar emerged at 11.25am to brief the crowd that the ACA had cancelled the appointment.


 Among those present were deputy president Dr Syed Husin Ali, vice-president Azmin Ali, secretary-general Khalid Ibrahim and Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin.


 <img align="right" alt="" border="0" height="143" hspace="7" src="http://corp.malaysiakini.com/cms/ib/data/4/100/25143.jpg" style="WIDTH: 250px; HEIGHT: 143px" width="250"/>
 PKR vice-president R Sivarasa and Anwar's aide Sim Tze Tzin had earlier been served a notice under Section 22, but
 
 <a href="/news/73484" target="_blank">
 refused
 </a>
 
 to comply with the ACA demand for the full video clip, expressing concern for the safety of the informants.


 The eight-minute clip that Anwar released on Sept 19 showed senior lawyer VK Lingam in a phone conversation with current Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim, apparently brokering the appointment of 'friendly judges'.


 Ahmad Fairuz, who was chief judge of Malaya at the time, has denied his involvement through
 
 de facto
 
 law minister Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz. Lingam has not been available for comment to date.


 
 <a href="/news/72772" target="_blank">
 SPECIAL REPORT: The Lingam tape
 </a>
 




 
 
 Watch the 4-minute clip here

<img align="left" height="64" hspace="5" src="http://corp.malaysiakini.com/cms/ib/data/2/74/18677.jpg" width="64"/>
 updated version
 
 
 In an about-turn, the de facto PKR leader said he was ready to hand in the full 14-minute clip to the ACA today, but its team did not show up.
 


 
 [VIDEO INSIDE]

ACA no show, Anwar makes U-turn

~RM12

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