FORMER PRIME MINISTER CLARIFIES STATEMENT ON ALLEGED RAPE BY MINISTER

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 10 (Bernama) -- Former Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad
Badawi Sunday clarified that he had made a statement on allegations of rape said
by a minister only Saturday as he just came to know of the allegations.

He said that he had not said anything earlier because he was not informed of
the allegations.

Abdullah said he had responded Saturday because the media had asked him
about the allegations in some blog sites alleging that Information,
Communication and Culture Minister Rais Yatim had raped his
former maid in 2007.

The former prime minister said he had said nothing else and would like to
disassociate himself from other references in an earlier report quoting him on
the allegations.

On Friday, the former maid of Rais denied the allegations of rape.

-- BERNAMA