Confessor in video scandal involving minister arrested

Malaysian police arrested the man who confessed he is the partner of a minister in a gay-sex video that went viral last month.

Haziq Abdul Aziz is detained for his role in the sex video allegedly implicating Economic Affairs Minister Azmin Ali.

Haziq, a former political aide who jumped ship to Barisan Nasional and returned to Pakatan Harapan, claims he had a same-sex affair with Azmin Ali.

Azmin is said to be a very influential minister in the cabinet of Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. The minister is rumoured to be a potential successor to Mahathir Mohamad as prime minister, despite a pact for Anwar Ibrahim to take power.

Haziq and five others have been remanded for six days as part of police investigations.

Malaysiakini quoted Huzir Mohamed, the federal criminal and investigations department director, as saying the probe was linked to a section in the penal code regarding the distribution of obscene material.

Azmin issued a statement using the ministry’s letter head to criticise the release of the video saying, ‘I categorically deny this vicious libel’.

Experts have concurred the video is not fabricated that is it is an original shooting and no doctoring was done before its release. But the experts says they do not know if it is Azmin in the video. They did not confirm whether it is Haziq altogether.

Various clips were released in Malaysia on social media and via a special Whatsapp account to selected groups of media reporters before it was made viral.

Dr Mahathir, the Parti Keadilan Rakyat and supporters of Azmin has rallied in favour of the minister.

Haziq, a PKR leader in Sarawak, was sacked but is given a chance to regain his membership if he can prove his allegations of corruption against Azmin.

Azmin was cleared of corruption allegations by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency headed by an ex-PKR member, Latheefa Koya who is also said to be ‘friend’ of Azmin.