KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Finance (MOF) today stressed that Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng (pix) has never issued a statement or a directive requiring Muslims to perform umrah only through Tabung Haji (TH) and not through independent or private travel agencies.
In a statement, the MOF said the allegation that the minister had issued such a statement or directive was indeed baseless.
“According to the article titled ‘Guan Eng Will Kill Malay Businesses’ published in the Malaysia Today portal dated Feb 4, 2019, the objective of the so-called directive is to ensure that Tabung Haji will monopolise umrah arrangement and management services, hence eliminating any chance for Bumiputera-owned independent/private travel agencies to compete in the market.
“The article was also published by Raja Petra Kamarudin on Facebook on Feb 4, 2019,” the statement said.
The MOF said the propagation of the false news report was only aimed to arouse public anger and incite hatred against a non-Muslim Finance Minister, for supposedly intervening in matters of Islamic affairs.
The statement said the MOF had also lodged a police report on the spread of false information and would also lodge similar report to the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission for further action.
“It has to be stressed again that neither the Minister nor the MOF has issued such a directive as stated in the Malaysia Today’s article,” the statement said, adding that the allegation was indeed malicious, defamatory and false. — Bernama
