Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin (photo) is as 'guilty' as malaysiakini for giving a 'wrong' statement to a foreign newspaper and thus should also be investigated by the Attorney-General's Chamber, Parliamentary Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang said today.

Referring to Khairy's statement in the International Herald Tribune recently that the government has decided not to dig out past corruption cases, Lim said that, since the government has repeatedly denied that there was no such policy, then Khairy should be investigated.

"That being the case, isn't Khairy as guilty as malaysiakini in being 'a liar' by deliberately publishing a false report? Is Khairy being investigated by the AG's Chambers?" he asked during the debate on the Second Supplementary Supply Bills 2004 in Parliament.

Malaysiakini's April Fool's prank 'claimed' that three ministers and a state chief minister would be charged for corruption.

This had caused a stir among those in government with AG Abdul Gani Patail reportedly furious over the 'report'.

Last Thursday, Energy, Water and Communications Minister Dr Lim Keng Yaik said that malaysiakini is being investigated by the AG's Chambers and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

Kit Siang said that, although Khairy has clarified that he never used the word 'immunity', he had not denied the veracity of his quotation.

He claimed that Khairy has greater credibility than a minister as he is "no ordinary Umno Youth deputy leader".

"Being the prime minister's son-in-law and key strategist in Abdullah (Ahmad Badawi)'s policy, he is in the PM's inner circle and exercising greater influence and power not enjoyed by the overwhelming majority of the cabinet ministers," he said.

International perception

He said an increasing number of international media reports have been expressing disappointment with the premier's failure to 'walk to talk' in his 'zero-tolerance for corruption' campaign.

"There is no international media conspiracy against Abdullah. This is a perception which is widely, deeply and genuinely felt both inside and outside the country," he stressed.

This included a scathing commentary by Financial Times' chief Asia correspondent Victor Mallet - 'Mission impossible in Malaysia' - on Abdullah's failure to fight corruption.

However, Lim's remarks about Khairy irked a few Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs.

Mohamad Aziz (BN-Sri Gading) said the opposition leader should be careful in making such allegations.

"This would lead outsiders to think that the premier's son-in-law knows better than cabinet ministers. This is a wild allegation. There is nothing wrong in being someone's son-in-law. He (Khairy) did not interfere in the administration," he said.

Bung Mokhtar Radin (BN-Kinabatangan) said no one should be taken action just based on "perceptions".

"If the AG has said there is no case, we can't punish innocent people," he added.