Hulu Kinta BN candidate gets extortion for RM300,000

IPOH: Police are investigating a case of extortion received by the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate for Hulu Kinta state seat, Datuk Mazlan Abd Rahman from unknown parties who demanded RM300,000 from him.

Perak police chief Datuk Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri said the case is being investigated under Section 385 of the Penal Code following a report received from the 50-year-old victim.

"He received the threats from an unknown phone number while campaigning.

"The victim was threatened to pay up RM300,000, failing which, the suspect would spread letters, leaflets and viral messages on social media to discredit the victim with the intention of bringing the victim down," he said in a statement here today.

Meanwhile, Mazlan said the threat was received via Whatsapp at about 6 pm on Tuesday and at 11.34 am yesterday before making a report at the Tambun police station at noon yesterday.

He expressed his disappointment as he did not defame any parties during the campaign and is leaving it to the police to conduct an investigation and arrest the parties involved.

"In the campaign I didn't touch the personal lives of my challengers or any people and I even hugged the opposing party when we met during the campaign as my concept is to be friends with anyone.

"The threat will not make me withdraw from the 15th general election and I am firm in continuing the struggle for the people of Hulu Kinta state constituency, and I do not have the money to pay the criminal," he said when met in Bandar Baru Tambun here today .

He said the content of the message received and the sender's phone number had been handed over to the police and hoped that all parties would campaign in a fair manner so that the democratic system could flourish in our community.

He said that the threats would not break his spirit as he has gone through various twists and turns and faced defamation in his politics career in the past 28 years.

Mazlan in a four-cornered fight with incumbent Muhamad Arafat Varisai Mahamad (PH-PKR), Puteri Holijah Mohd Rali (PN-BERSATU) and Murugiah Subramaniam (Independent) for the Hulu Kinta state seat which has 74,292 voters.

-- BERNAMA