Officials from the Prime Minister's Department have approached People's Progressive Party (PPP) officials as part of a probe on the inflammatory speech made by Malacca Chief Minister Mohd Ali Rustam recently.

A PPP source told Malaysiakini that PM's Dept officers were keen to obtain video evidence of Mohd Ali's speech.

"I was told that the prime minister wants to see and hear for himself what Mohd Ali said," said the source.

The source said PPP officials have been trying to convince party members and other individuals in possession of a recording of Mohd Ali's speech to come forward.

"Some of them are scared. They don't know what Mohd Ali would do to them. They don't want to be seen as going against the government," he said.

However, the source said that PM's Dept officers would have little problems collecting evidence as there were more than 500 witnesses to Mohd Ali's speech.

Previously, media sources have confirmed that Mohd Ali had urged them not to report the controversial portions of his speech.

On Wednesday, The Sun reported that Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had ordered his officers to probe Mohd Ali's speech at the Oct 15 PPP Malacca convention.

'All of you can leave'

Mohd Ali allegedly made disparaging remarks against other menteri besars, Barisan Nasional component parties and the prime minister during his speech.

He chided the PPP for "threatening" the ruling BN coalition for more seats to contest in the coming general election.

Eyewitnesses said a handful of party members stormed out of the venue in protest, but that did not deter Mohd Ali.

"PPP can leave BN," said Mohd Ali.

He then pointed at the stunned delegates and added: "All of you can leave. Either today or tomorrow. Why wait until the general election? What's there to wait for?"

Upset at what it sees as a open rebuke from Umno's third-most senior official, PPP formally complained to Abdullah, who is Umno president, on the matter several days later.

The report indicated that findings from the investigation would be discussed at the Umno supreme council.