The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has denied a claim by Sarawak Report that Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had breached home quarantine last month to seek cancer treatment in Singapore.
It also produced documents declaring he did not have cancer and was fit to lead the country.
In a statement today, it stressed that Muhyiddin (above) had observed the full 14-day quarantine after coming into contact with a Covid-19 patient and did not leave his house during the period.
The PMO said that the website ought to be “held accountable” for the claims but stopped short of mentioning if any legal action would be taken.
“The allegations made by the Sarawak Report news portal that the PM had broken quarantine rules and flew overseas are baseless and merely a fiction [sic] created by the writer.
“The writer and Sarawak Report must be held accountable for the false allegations hurled at the PM.
“The burden of proof is on the writer to back these frivolous claims regarding the private jet, hospital in Singapore and doctors as alleged,” it said.
The statement did not stipulate the title of the article in question except that it was a “recent posting” by the news website.
Last week, Sarawak Report had published a report claiming the PM had travelled to the island state for overnight pancreatic cancer treatment on May 26.
The article also alleged that Muhyiddin - who underwent surgery for pancreatic cancer in Singapore in 2018 - was currently “extremely ill” and unfit for the role.
It further demanded transparency on the PM’s health condition.
The PMO enclosed with its statement two similar medical reports (below) that declared Muhyiddin cancer-free.
“Experts in pancreatic cancer have conducted detailed investigations and have confirmed that there is no evidence of cancer currently and certainly no evidence of recurrent disease.
“We are of the opinion that Muhyiddin is fit to serve the people and the nation,” said both doctors.
‘Smear campaign’
Following the allegations, the PMO criticised Sarawak Report of intentionally attempting to defame the PM.
“The failure to do so (substantiate the allegations) shows that the report is malicious intent and nothing but a smear campaign on the PM.
“It is regrettable that the news portal has turned into a political tool to spread lies through baseless allegations,” it said.
Malaysiakini has contacted Sarawak Report for a response.
This is the second time Muhyiddin has needed to address aspersions about his health.
The former home minister ascended to the top job on March 1 after leading the “Sheraton Move” political coup where he led Bersatu out of Pakatan Harapan to form the Perikatan Nasional pact with BN, PAS, GPS, Star and PBS. - Mkini
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