The government today admitted that it had released an inaccurate parliamentary reply in which it was claimed that jailed ex-deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim had not lodged a police report in 1999 pertaining to the Perwaja Steel scandal.

In a letter to Teresa Kok (DAP-Seputeh), Deputy Internal Security Minister Noh Omar said the reply issued earlier was "inaccurate and wrong".

"I apologise for the mistake which was unintentional," Noh said in a letter dated July 1 and which was received by the DAP MP yesterday.

On May 31, during the first Dewan Rakyat sitting for the year, Kok had asked the Internal Security Ministry why the police had not recorded a statement from Anwar in view of the fact that Perwaja managing director Eric Chia had been charged on Feb 10 with criminal breach of trust by the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA).

She had also questioned why the police have been slower to act than the ACA.

Responding at the time, minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi - who is also prime minister - denied that Anwar had lodged a police report on the matter.

"The police carried out an investigation and found that the assertion that Anwar had lodged a police report on Perwaja was unfounded," Abdullah said in the earlier reply, adding that this was also why the police had no reason to record Anwar's statement or to list him as a witness.

On June 1, Kok had called a press conference to express her disappointment with the premier's "untruthful and irresponsible" answer.

'Matter settled'

Noh's letter was attached to a written reply to put the clarification on record before Parliament. A copy has been extended to Speaker Dr Mohamed Zahir Ismail.

The reply said Anwar was confirmed to have lodged a police report on July 21, 1999 at the Tun HS Lee police station in Kuala Lumpur, when the former deputy premier was being held in prison while awaiting trial.

It further stated that Anwar's police report was referred to the ACA, which was probing the Perwaja Steel scandal at the time, and that the charge against Chia had resulted from the investigation.

Speaking to malaysiakini later, Kok said she was glad that the government has finally rectified its error.

"In the past, wrong answers, half-truths and inconsistent answers have been provided in written replies to the Dewan Rakyat," she said.

Kok said she believed the clarification was issued because of the oath-taking controversy involving DAP deputy chairperson and Bukit Gelugor MP Karpal Singh, who has been referred to the Privileges Committee for allegedly misleading the House.

"During that debate, I had questioned why Karpal should be referred to the committee for citing the wrong law, when Pak Lah had given the House a wrong answer," she said, adding that she has no plans to pursue the issue.