vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob has instructed his lawyers to take legal action against the spread of defamatory claims that there was a meeting between him and Perikatan Nasional chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin in Jakarta, Indonesia recently.
The allegation that the two former prime ministers had met was reportedly spread due to Ismail Sabri's non-attendance at the Umno supreme council meeting on Dec 8.
"If you want to slander people, let's be reasonable. The immigration record should show that I didn't leave the country. It means I am in the country.
"I have already instructed my lawyer to take legal action against the slanderers," he told Malaysiakini when asked for confirmation about the alleged meeting.
Apart from Ismail Sabri (above), Mahdzir Khalid was also another Umno vice-president who did not attend the meeting.
In a message on social media that was shared repeatedly by an unidentified individual, it was claimed that the former prime minister was in Jakarta and was “planning something”.
The message also claimed that the meeting was about the “Jakarta Move”, with Muhyiddin said to be there as well.
Denying the accusation, Bera MP Ismail Sabri described it as slander, saying that at noon on the same date, he was eating banana leaf rice with a veteran journalist.
Meanwhile, he said he was in Bera, Pahang in the evening for the opening of the Rainforest Challenge International.
This is not the first time that Ismail Sabri and several BN leaders have been accused of conducting closed meetings with parties from other coalitions before.
Such rumours spread when Umno and BN were seen to be divided into two camps - between those who support a unity government with Pakatan Harapan and those who disagree.
Malaysiakini is attempting to contact Mahdzir for his response to the claims. - Mkini
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