(FMT) – The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) today refuted a claim by Sarawak Report that Muhyiddin Yassin had breached self-quarantine rules by travelling to Singapore to seek treatment for cancer.
In a statement, the PMO also dismissed claims that Muhyiddin had suffered a relapse, saying the allegations were “baseless and malicious”.
In a June 9 report titled “Malaysia’s Criminal Coup Unfurls”, Sarawak Report said it had been informed by “reliable sources” that Muhyiddin broke home quarantine on May 26.
It claimed he had travelled to Singapore by private jet “where he remained overnight to receive chemotherapy treatment for the resurgence of his pancreatic cancer”.
The PMO said Muhyiddin had observed the self-quarantine order for 14 days from May 22 after an officer who attended a post-Cabinet meeting tested positive for Covid-19.
During that period, it said, the prime minister had adhered to standard operating procedures (SOPs).
Adding that he had not left the house, it said official duties were conducted from home including a video conference with the defence minister and health director-general.
“The allegations made by Sarawak Report that the prime minister broke quarantine rules and travelled overseas are baseless and merely a fiction of the writer.”
The PMO also called for the portal and writer to be held accountable for the allegations.
It said the burden of proof was on the writer to back the “frivolous claims” regarding the private jet and hospital stay.
“The failure to do so shows that the report was with malicious intent and is nothing but a smear campaign against the prime minister,” it said.
“It is regrettable that the news portal has turned into a political tool to spread lies through baseless allegations.”
It added that such claims were an unnecessary distraction at a time when the country was facing health crisis and economic challenges.
It also shared a medical report from Pantai Hospital stating that there was no evidence of cancer and “certainly no evidence of a recurrent disease”.
Muhyiddin was diagnosed with Stage 1 pancreatic cancer in 2018. He underwent an operation to remove the cancer and also underwent chemotherapy.
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