Najmil Faiz apologises, retracts statement against Yeoh

SHAH ALAM - Umno youth Exco Datuk Dr Najmil Faiz Mohamed Aris extends his apology to Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh and retracts his claims the DAP leadership tried to undermine the Islamic leadership three years ago.

Faiz said Yeoh and him had agreed on a peaceful resolution to the legal action taken by the Segambut MP against him.

"I would like to apologise and retract my statements towards Yeoh that she ‘tried to instill fear in the Islamic leadership as if they were supporting underage marriage," he said in a Facebook post on Monday.

Yeoh, in her statement on April 5 said a plea bargain was recorded in which Faiz agreed to retract and apologise for his statements.

"The apology was aired on his Facebook and Twitter social media accounts," he said.

Last March 9, Yeoh voiced her concern that the National Strategic Plan for Addressing Causes of Underage Marriage, launched by Pakatan Harapan (PH) would be shelved following the appointment of Datuk Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff as the Women, Family, and Community Development deputy minister.

She questioned how the government would implement the national plan for curbing child marriage if a Pas MP was appointed as the deputy minister.

The statement gained a response from Faiz the following day.

He stated in a Facebook post that Yeoh released a statement to undermine Siti Zailah’s capabilities.

Faiz said Yeoh's statement would instill fear among the public by discrediting the Islamic leadership as if it were supporting child marriage.

He stated DAP’s narrow-mindedness in linking issues with religious context is old-fashioned and barbaric.