KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim did not issue any statement that the Malaysian government was pro-Israel, the Sessions Court here heard on Tuesday (July 30).

Datuk Zahairi Baharim, formerly an administrative and diplomatic officer with the Foreign Ministry, said this when referring to a Hansard dated Oct 16 last year on Anwar’s explanation regarding the government's firm stand against the cruelty, oppression and extortion by the Israeli regime against the Palestinian people in Gaza.

"The Palestinian issue is handled by the Foreign Ministry which will prepare answers (on the issue) and submit them to the Prime Minister's Office.

"We (the Foreign Ministry) were asked to give a briefing on the situation in Gaza at the Prime Minister's Office at 9am before the Prime Minister went to Parliament and I was present during the briefing," he said during re-examination by DPP Mohamad Mustaffa P. Kunyalam.

Zahairi, who is now with the Public Service Department, was testifying as the fifth prosecution witness at the trial of former Umno Youth exco member Wan Muhammad Azri Wan Deris, or Papagomo, before Sessions judge Siti Aminah Ghazali.

On Jan 8, Wan Muhammad Azri, 41, pleaded not guilty to the charge of making seditious remarks linking the government to pro-Israel and pro-Western countries on Facebook.

He was charged with making seditious remarks on the Halid Hamidi Facebook page (Halid Mat Kool), and the remarks were seen by an individual at a condominium in Jalan Tong Shin, Bukit Bintang at 1pm on Nov 8 last year.

The charge is framed under Section 4(1)(b) of the Sedition Act 1948 punishable under Section 4(1) of the same law, which provides for a fine of not more than RM5,000 or a maximum of three years in jail, or both, if convicted.

The hearing continues on Oct 18. – Bernama

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/07/30/pm-never-issued-statement-govt-is-pro-israel-papagomo-trial-hears