Swear if you dare, Shazryl tells Anwar
(The Malaysian Insider) – Datuk Shazryl Eskay, a key protagonist behind the sex video allegedly featuring Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, challenged the opposition leader today to join him and swear on his innocence at a mosque in Sentul tomorrow.
Shazryl, who insists the man in the 21-minute video is Anwar, announced in a press conference that he was willing to swear on his convictions beside Anwar.
“On the identity of the actor in the video, I am brave enough to swear that it is Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim because I, too, was at the location and in the clip itself.
“If Anwar Ibrahim still denies this, I invite him to swear on his innocence after Friday prayers at Masjid Amru Al-As, Bandar Baru, Sentul,” Shazryl said, reading from a statement.
He added all those who wanted to know “the truth” of the matter were invited to witness the ceremony, adding that his “Datuk T” partners, former Malacca chief minister Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Tamby Chik and Perkasa treasurer-general Datuk Shuib Lazim, would also be present.
“Our actions are based on truth and are for the good of the people. Finally, on Allah’s name, the people, and our children, my friends and I hold full responsibility over the expose.
“May Allah be with those who are honest and truthful,” he said.
When asked if he planned to proceed with the ceremony should Anwar fail to turn up tomorrow, Shazryl said he was willing to do so if requested to.
“We will decide tomorrow. If I am advised to go ahead with it, I am willing to. If you want me to, I will,” he told reporters.
Shazryl added that he had been receiving advice from many individuals to take the oath in a mosque as a bid to prove his honesty.
On whether his partners Abdul Rahim and Shuib would also take similar oaths, Shazryl said, “No.”
Abdul Rahim said Shazryl would take the oath on behalf of “Datuk T”, the nickname the trio behind the latest sex scandal have adopted.
When approached by reporters again after the press conference, Shazryl admitted that he had been arrested on the day that he had lodged a police report on the sex video.
He said that he had been detained and released on RM10,000 police bail.
On March 25, the men had denied being arrested following reports that they had been collared by the police.
Earlier during today’s press conference, Shazryl expressed disappointment at the allegations of conspiracy made against him and his friends over the release of the sex video.
He said that as a “Malaysian citizen who loves his country”, he was willing to take any risk to reveal “the truth behind the leader I knew since 1996”.
“He is known as a moral man, honest and sincere in his political struggles, but in truth, it is the contrary.
“He is cunning enough to pretend to be a fair and pious man of character, but instead, he performs deeds that do not reflect rational thinking and Islamic values,” he said.
