APCO Worldwide chief executive officer Brad Staples will appear before the Parliamentary Rights and Privileges Committee tomorrow to testify against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim over his claims the company has Israeli links.
“The CEO himself will be here,” said a source close to the powerful Parliament committee.
He told The Malaysian Insider APCO Worldwide’s Europe, Middle East and Africa regional CEO is expected to tell the panel that Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1 Malaysia has nothing to do with One Israel.
“That is all we are interested to find out. We are not interested in anything else,” said the MP who spoke anonymously.
Staples’ testimony denying APCO’s Israeli links would be the committee’s strongest evidence against Anwar, paving the way for his removal from the Dewan Rakyat, if found guilty.
When debating the royal address during the last Parliament sitting, Anwar questioned why Najib engaged APCO, which he claimed was previously hired by the Israeli government.
The Permatang Pauh MP also alleged that the 1 Malaysia initiative was a carbon copy of Ehud Barak’s One Israel.
APCO later issued a press statement to deny its links with One Israel and said that the 1 Malaysia initiative was conceived prior to the company’s appointment.
Najib announced the 1 Malaysia concept when taking office on April 3 last year, pledging to listen to the people and declaring that “the era where the government knows best is over”.
Staples’ presence tomorrow will be the firm’s first opportunity to defend itself in Parliament.
Apart from Staples, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz will also give his evidence to the committee tomorrow, which is the second day of the hearing.
The committee has rejected Anwar’s application to allow his counsel to attend his hearing.
The proceeding will continue tomorrow in the absence of the former deputy prime minister.
The Rights and Privileges Committee is chaired by Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia and consists of four Barisan Nasional (BN) members and two Pakatan Rakyat MPs.
The BN representatives are Deputy Speaker Datuk Ronald Kiandee (Beluran), Datuk Seri Dr Fong Chan Onn (Alor Gajah), Datuk Nancy Shukri (Batang Sadong) and Datuk Razali Ibrahim (Muar).
PR is represented by PKR’s Subang MP Sivarasa Rasiah and DAP chairman Karpal Singh (Bukit Gelugor).
Anwar will likely face censure and a possible suspension for his remarks which dominated the last parliamentary sitting and have been used consistently as campaign fodder in the Hulu Selangor and Sibu by-elections.
