I refer to Datuk Murad Khalid's statutory declaration paragraph 11 (b):
"Datuk Seri Anwar instructed me to settle Puan Marina Yusoff's debt with local Banks amounting to RM20 million. I presented her application to the Tabung Pemulihan Usahawan (TPU) for assistance to develop her land along Jalan Tun Razak, on which is now the completed Complex Marinara. The TPU Panel approved her applicationl. Puan Marina is extremely grateful to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim."
I would like to state here that I am not shocked at Datuk Murad's statement because I known he has been hounded, threatened, and blackmailed to the extent that he had to resign from Bank Negara. Now he has been forced to resign from RHB. I do not believe that Datuk Murad drafted the affidavit himself because it is out of character, and the style of drafting and words chosen are too similar to previous forced confessions produced as evidence against Datuk Seri Anwar. The statement is also incorrect on many matters. I would not expect Datuk Murad, as an experienced banker, to make such mistakes.
1. My project called Marinara started in 1983. Before I even started the project, I had asked Dr Mahathir for his blessing as I knew even then that anyone who plans any major project "without the blessing" of Dr Mahathir would have problems. It was a known fact that UMNO, particularly Dr Mahathir, had a policy of blocking all facilities and loans to people they regarded as political enemies. There were many occasions when I heard Dr Mahathir give instructions to remove directorships, positions, loans and facilities from persons he regarded as his enemies.
2. By the time I had obtained all the approvals and was ready to start the project, it was 1987. At that time, the UMNO election was getting heated up due to the context between Tengku Razaleigh and Dr Mahathir. Tengku Razaleigh convinced me of Dr Mahathir's wrong doings and Daim's dishonesty. I supported Tengku Razaleigh and became very much involved in the campaign. We were referred to as Team B. Based on facts and evidence given to me by Tengku Razaleigh and several others, we drafted the letter to the Prime Minister dated 14th April 1987 exposing Daim's theft of UMNO funds which he held as treasurer of UMNO. (At that time, he was also the finance minister.) My letter really made Daim angry and he carried on an all-out onslaught against me. he directed all banks to recall all loans granted to me and my companies, to foreclose on the loans and to try to declare me a bankrupt, which he tried to do many times through his lap-dog lawyer who became obsessed with this. He got the television networks, particularly TV3, to portray my project in the worst possible light. he got the UMNO-controlled press to carry a full-page article to reply to my allegations on the day of the UMNO-controlled press to carry a full-page article to reply to my allegations on the day of the UMNO elections and threatened me with legal action. He was desperate.
3. Due to the actions by the banks, I was called to Bank Negara several times, and in the process, I met Datuk Murad. He knew of my plight and advised me to apply for a TPU loan. I was reluctant to was considered to be in the "opposition", having gone against Dr Mahathir and Daim, but he encouraged me to do so, saying I had a very viable project and he would recommend it to the TPU Committee. My application to TPU was initiated as early as 1989 through the Dewan Perniagaan Melayu to rehabilitate entrepreneurs with viable projects. The TPU appointed financial consultants to look into its viability. I also appointed several consultants to do feasibility studies. All the consultants deemed the project viable and made strong recommendations to the TPU to approve the loan to rehabilitate the project. As a result of the efforts and strong support of the Dewan Perniagaan Melayu, my application was approved.
4. I am very grateful to the Dewan Perniagan Melayu and to Datuk Murad for recommending that the loan be given to me. I would like to stress that at no time was the TPU loan used for settlement of my loans with the banks. The RM20 million settlement made with the banks referred to in Datuk Murad's statutory declaration has nothing to do with the TPU loan. The RM20 million was in settlement of the originals loans with the banks for redemption of the document of title, which was used as security for the existing loans for the project. This was financed by another commercial bank, not by the TPU. It was a normal commercial transaction and had nothing to do with Datuk Seri Anwar.
5. At that time, Datuk Seri Anwar was nowhere in the picture, and there was no communication between us because as a result of the heated campaign in the 1990 General Elections, there was still a lot of resentment between us. Datuk Seri Anwar was one of those who came to Lembah Pantai to campaign vehemently against me, resulting in my losing the seat I was contesting for by a very slim majority. The first Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tengku Abdul Rahman had also come to campaign for me and called upon the people of malaysia to reject Dr Mahathir. He warned the people that the country would be heading for destruction and would be bankrupt if Dr Mahathir continued to be in power. I still have copies of Tengku Abdul Rahman's speeches.
6. Datuk Seri Anwar's role, if at all there was one, was simply that he did not block approval of my loan from the TPU. At that time, I had not yet rejoined UMNO. I only spoke to him on the telephone and requested him not to block my loan as the project was viable. I asked him if it was necessary for me to rejoin UMNO at that stage. He said no. Later, he confirmed that he had got the green light to rejoin UMNO at that stage. He said no. Later, he confirmed that he had got the green light from Dr Mahathir. Quite some time after the loan was approved and my project had commenced, Dr Mahathir sent Datuk Kadir Sheikh Fadzir to persuade me to rejoin UMNO. When I rejoined UMNO, it was Dr Mahathir himself who happily announced it to the media. There was wide coverage of my rejoining UMNO.
7. Yes, I am grateful to Dr Mahathir and Datuk Seri Anwar for not blocking my loan. Any normal human being should be grateful to people who assist them. However, my gratitude to Datuk Seri Anwar is no more than my gratitude to Datuk Murad and to the Dewan Perniagan Melayu who made it all possible.
8. The fact that the project has been very successfully implemented despite so many obstacles should speak for itself. When Datuk Murad chaired one of the meetings on my project as chairman of the TPU, he complimented me on running the project so efficiently and said it was a model rehabilitated TPU project.
9. My present support for Datuk Seri Anwar is unrelated to my project. It is based on my sense of justice and fair play. Having been on the bench and worked as a lawyer for the past 34 years, I have never before witnessed such abuses of power, especially by the courts, by political and business interests due to political lust, greed and warrant the extremely unjust and incessant persecution of him, his family, friends and others closely associated with or remotely linked to him.
10 I would question the suddenly appearance and purpose of the Statutory Declaration. It is not related to any legal case, except the recently concocted case against Datuk Murad. I have known Datuk Murad long enough to know that he is not capable of coming out with such a statement on his own. It is out of character. The statement "after long soul searching" is almost identical to the "reasons" for so-called confessions made by Azizan, Sukma and Munawar, the latter two clearly under duress. It is out of character for Datuk Murad to use expressions such as "liar and hypocrite" and "cheating ways" against Datuk Seri Anwar or, for that matter, anyone else. Datuk Murad has never uttered a harsh word against anyone although the years I have known him. I believe he has been forcibly turned over and his very soft and weak personality has succumbed. I believe it is the work of the same group of people who fixed Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. The timing of such a Statutory Declaration is most probably part of an ongoing campaign to discredit Datuk Seri Anwar, KeADILan and the Barisan statement that "I make this confession in order to appeal to all fair minded Malaysians not to fall prey to his cheating ways especially in the coming general election" reflects what this sick political group in power will do to retain power. It is obviously intened to be used to assist the Barisan Nasional to win the elections. I deplore such despicable acts.
As a citizen of Malaysia, I call upon the people of Malaysia to come together and put a stop to all this nonsense and to restore sanity and order to this country, and to remove all corrupt and degenerate political leaders who have held the people to ransom for far too long. We have been humiliated and ridiculed and made to look like fools and idiots in the eyes of the world, and it is time we all gather the nation. Let us not be a nation that will be destroyed by God due to the selfish wrong doings of a few evil people.
May God guide us all along the Straight and True Path.
May Peace be Upon you.
Hajjah Marina Yusoff
1 November 1999.-