JOHANNESBURG, Nov 21 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that any action involving his Political Secretary over allegations of a support letter should be guided by reasonableness and the actual context of the incident.
Anwar reiterated that there was no necessity to escalate the matter to the authorities as the issue did not constitute misconduct in the legal sense, but rather a breach of administrative guidelines which prohibit government officials from issuing support letters for contractors or projects.
“We must look at the gravity of the situation. This is not a case of wrongdoing or abuse of power. It simply touches on an administrative rule where such letters are not permitted,” he told reporters en route to Johannesburg for a four-day working visit.
His statement came in response to Pandan MP Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli, who previously urged Anwar to dismiss his Political Secretary following claims that he had issued a support letter for a hospital project. Rafizi also identified Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin as the individual involved.
According to Rafizi, firmer action such as dismissal would demonstrate the government’s commitment to anti-corruption efforts.