Various lawmakers from the Pakatan Rakyat fold are still full of skepticism despite rife speculation that Apco Worldwide may not have their contract renewed once it expires in August.

NONEPKR strategic director Tian Chua (right) said that he was still doubtful over whether the government would really terminate its contract with international media consultancy firm.

He said he had raised the question with Minister in Prime Minister’s Department Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz in Parliament today but was stonewalled.

"I am very skeptical as to whether they will be asked to leave [...] but I don’t think the prime minister can perform without Apco," he said.

He added that for the moment, the contract’s termination was hypothetical and Apco’s services would continue to exist in a different form.

"This episode will not stop them," said Chua.

‘Why were they hired?’

In the exclusive report earlier today, Malaysiakini revealed that Apco may not have their annual contract extended once it expires in four months time.

PAS vice-president Mahfuz Omar who has also been raising up a storm in the August house on the issue, echoes the opinion that there will be still some kind of cooperation between the Malaysian government and Apco albeit through different channels.

azlan"There was work done earlier by Apco even before they signed the contract last year.

He said the core of the issue was not whether their contract should be renewed but why the company was hired in the first place.

"It involves a lot of money and it (their hiring) has raised nothing but confusion and questions.

"Why want to wait until the contract expires in August instead of terminating it now?" he demanded, adding the government has to be transparent in their explanations of the links between Apco, Israel intellegence and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s ‘1Malaysia’ concept.

It is believed that the one-year contract between Apco and the Malaysian government is worth over RM20 million.

Motion against 'Umno-Apco' Mahfuz withdrawn