‘It’s genuine’: Annuar convinced of Anwar-Zahid phone call, suggests mosque oath to clear names

Former Umno secretary-general Annuar Musa says he is convinced that the voices of two individuals in an audio recording of a phone conversation are those of Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Anwar Ibrahim.

“I am 100% sure that the voices are genuine,” he said, adding that he had listened to the audio repeatedly, and that he was familiar with the two leaders.

He urged Zahid, the Umno president, to be forthright and to come clean on the matter, adding that he should not shift the blame to others.

Annuar said it had also vindicated him in his earlier claims that Zahid had gone against the party’s policy of not working with PKR and DAP.

“Alhamdulillah, there is now clear proof of what I have been saying.

“I believe more Umno members understand what really is happening,” he said.

In the four-minute clip revealed by MalaysiaNow yesterday, Anwar, the PKR president, is heard congratulating and giving instructions to Zahid in the aftermath of the Umno general assembly which accepted his proposal to cut ties with the Perikatan Nasional government.

Zahid in return thanked Anwar for his moral support.

MalaysiaNow has been able to verify that the clip is authentic, and that the voices are those of Anwar and Zahid.

But both leaders have denied speaking to each other, saying they will send their representatives to lodge police reports.

Annuar said the duo could put to rest suspicions by coming clean on the matter themselves.

He proposed that Anwar and Zahid even emulate former prime minister Najib Razak’s move to take an Islamic oath to deny allegations against him.

He said this was because there would be claims of conspiracy if the outcome of the police investigation does not favour them.

“Only they are witnesses to what they spoke, apart from God.

“So they could both go to the Kampung Baru mosque,” he quipped.

In December 2019, Najib took a so-called “sumpah laknat”, an Islamic oath to clear one’s name, over accusations that he was involved in the 2006 murder of Mongolian citizen Altantuya Shaariibuu, at Masjid Jamek Kampung Baru.

Annuar said Zahid should emulate Najib and his predecessor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, both of whom had stepped down in the interest of the party’s survival.

Abdullah resigned as prime minister and Umno president months after Umno suffered general election setbacks in 2008, while Najib resigned following the party’s fall from power in 2018.

“Politicians should be honest and brave, and not blame others,” Annuar said.

Adding that he was no longer part of the Umno Supreme Council, Annuar voiced hope that the top party leaders would “take responsibility” in putting the party’s interests first.

He also said that the contents of the phone conversation were disappointing to Umno members.

“I feel I have been betrayed as a delegate.”

Annuar was among Umno leaders who had called for party polls to be held before the next general election, saying the leadership must receive the grassroots’ mandate ahead of time.

The Umno Supreme Council had proposed that the party delay elections in order to focus on the impending general election.

But others including Khairy Jamaluddin, Mohamed Nazri Aziz and Reezal Merican Naina Merican subsequently questioned the move.