A Dishonourable Man – ZAHRAIN HASHIM

Zahrain Hashim - Voted MP for Bayan Baru under PKR banner in 2008. Quit PKR in 2010 to become UMNO-friendly when his RM2.00 company didn't get contract to manage BJGCC.

Dear Bayan Baru MP Zahrain Hashim,

It has come to my notice that you have again provided the press with information pertaining to matters you actually have no knowledge of but are instead pretending to.

It seems to me that you are still so desperately trying to earn brownie points with your new masters that you have instead resorted to a pathetic and tenuous attempt to discredit my integrity based on nothing more than a feeble threat of being possessed of documentary proof of my wrongdoings, which I know for a fact you could not possibly have.

In the event you are unable to decipher the innuendo in that statement, then let me leave you in no doubt that apart from my observations of your dishonourable conduct as a parliamentarian, I am now calling you a blatant liar.

The only proof you could possibly have of any sponsorship of my expenses in London would be copies of my American Express and Visa card bills. If you do indeed have copies of these statements, then you will no doubt have realised that whatever it cost to fly to London from Australia, stay in a hotel there for seven nights and then return to Australia, was paid for out of my own hard-earned money and no one else's.

I understand this concept may be alien to a politician of your stature but please try and understand that ordinary people sometimes do pay their own bills.

So I am now going to detail those expenses for you, Zahrain. As I have said, I have bills to back these expenses and I have proof that I paid for them myself.

1. Qantas airfares for my wife and I from Perth to London return - AUD$12,560.24 (American Express)

2. Chesterfield Hotel, Charles St, Mayfair, London - Pounds Sterling 1,550 (Visa)

I also know for a fact that both Manjeet Singh Dhillon and Amarjit Singh Sidhu paid for their respective trips to London themselves but I do not have exact details of those expenses. Since you have not leveled any accusations against them as yet I will leave it at that.

You may question why we paid all this money out of our own pockets. You may also choose to question why the legal services we are providing P Balasubramaniam are pro bono. The answer is very simple and probably beyond your comprehension. We consider it part of our duty to the nation.

Bala travelled to London on a plane ticket he purchased himself in India from the funds he received from Deepak Jaikishan. He checked into a deluxe room in a 4-star hotel in Notting Hill Gate as required by the MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission). They had promised to reimburse him for his flight and accommodation. I have documents to prove this. Please also remember that the MACC pulled out of this deal at the very last moment as Bala was in mid flight.

We were forced to hold a roundtable discussion at the Lagenda restaurant Holliday Villa Hotel, London, after the press conference on July 7 because Bala informed us he did not have enough money to pay his hotel bill. He had assumed the MACC would be picking up the tab.

I must confess I was greatly impressed with the speed at which all those at the table pitched in. RPK was the first person to hand over 500 pounds from his own pocket whilst other persons present passed the hat around and in no time at all, Bala was in funds again.

Needless to say, the two Special Branch agents seconded to eavesdrop were no where to be seen when that hat was passed around. Donations were received from ordinary Malaysians who were there supporting the fight of good over evil and truth over deceit. A big heartfelt 'syabas' to them all. Your nation is proud of you!

Now Zahrain, if you have proof to contradict my claim that my expenses in particular were borne by no other person than myself, please be man enough to reveal it. May I suggest that you ask Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz for those documents back. I am sure he would be only too happy to assist you in discrediting me.

Zahrain, be very clear that the reason why I called you a dishonourable man was for cheating those people who placed their trust in you by voting for you in the last elections. In the real world this would have meant that your credibility would have been irreparably destroyed. Not however, in the political world in which you now live, where chicanery of this nature is par for the course and is encouraged by reward.

Finally, Zahrain, even if PKR had sponsored my trip, (which unfortunately they have not), I am unable to comprehend why you would have considered this such a serious offence as to necessitate indignant press releases.

I would have thought support of this nature would have been lauded by any right thinking member of society as it would have shown a commitment by the opposition in ensuring that perpetrators of misdeeds are brought to justice, a concept you still appear not to appreciate very well.

So I have thrown down the gauntlet Zahrain. Produce your proof or forever hold your loquacity.

Let it be known that I am not intimidated by your threats. Paper tigers do not frighten me.

The writer is lawyer for private investigator P Balasubramaniam.