ALOR SETAR - Kedah's Menteri Besar Corporation (MBI) has demanded that Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail rectify several previous statements and cease disseminating misleading information.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the MBI said it would proceed to take legal action if there is no action from Saifuddin.
This came after a video went viral on TikTok and Facebook featuring Saifuddin's statement about rare earth elements (REE) and MBI Kedah. The clip allegedly contained allegations and misleading information.
"There was a misleading statement from Saifuddin's talk at the Guar Cempedak public square on July 15, namely ', you are the chairman of the Kedah Menteri Besar Incorporated, have you not received a letter requiring the Kedah Menteri Besar Incorporated to pay a compound of RM500,000 for stealing rare earths in Kampung Chong, Sik Kedah? We appointed him Mentri Besar to manage the state, not to be a thief'.
"According to Kedah MBI records, the Land and Mines Office issued the letter to Kedah MBI and Ho Chung Meng," said the statement.
The letter, it said, was addressed to Kedah MBI, as it is a valid forest plantation license holder and to Ho Chung Meng, as he is the person who admitted to the crime of theft and paid the fine.
The statement said there is no name of the Kedah MBI Chairman, as mentioned by Saifuddin.
"Saifuddin also issued a statement saying 'among those arrested is a Chinese citizen named Huang Zhi Yi. A Chinese citizen who works with the Menteri Besar's Corporation' at the Belantik State Legislative Assembly Election Operations Centre, Homestay Din Haji Salleh, on July 26.
"Huang Zhi Yi is not an employee of Kedah MBI, and the recruitment process at Kedah MBI is by its standard operating procedure (SOP).
"Applicants must undergo an interview and health check before a job offer is issued. No job offer letter has been issued to Huang Zhi Yi until now. Therefore, Kedah MBI denies that Huang Zhi Yi is a Kedah MBI employee," said the statement.
It added that Saifuddin was also quoted as saying that "You (Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor) brought him in. You were the one who put him Kedah MBI. His employer is the Kedah MBI" on the same date and location.
Kedah MBI insisted that the corporation was not Huang Zhi Yi's employer.
"The service contract will bind the employer and employee, but no service contract is issued in the name of Huang Zhi Yi," the statement denied.
Saifuddin once again allegedly issued a statement that read, 'Who gave it to the MBI? It is Menteri Besar, who is close to the MBI. Who is the Kedah Mentri Besar? Sanusi. Who is the Chairman of the MBI? Sanusi, too' on the same date and place.
"The Kedah Menteri Besar at that time was not Sanusi as stated by Saifuddin," it said, insisting that all the statements quoted by Saifuddin are misleading and untrue.
Kedah MBI said the purpose of issuing its statement is to protect its good name and image, thus avoiding confusion and negative impressions of the public and parties directly and indirectly involved with Kedah MBI.