Tengku Zafrul Denies Reports He Has Resigned

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KUALA LUMPUR: Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz has denied a news report suggesting that he has resigned as the finance minister following his absence from the Dewan Rakyat sitting today.
Tengku Zafrul took to his Facebook account to deny the report published by a Bahasa Malaysia daily which speculated his resignation after he was absent not only during the ministerial question time (MQT) but also during the tabling of the Supplementary Supply Bill 2021 (2022).
"I would like to refer to the report (speculating) that I had resigned (as finance minister).
"This is in relation to the tabling of the Supplementary Supply Bill 2021 (2022) by Deputy Finance Minister I Datuk Mohd Shahar Abdullah in Parliament.
"Actually, this is based on our plan (for the deputy minister to table the Bill). In fact, last year, it was the deputy finance minister who had tabled (the Bill) or maybe that media publication acted like they were unaware, or did not remember or care less about it?
"If possible, please be fair in your reports. Use the 'power of your pen' to report the truth and not spread rumours," said Tengku Zafrul in the posting which was accompanied by a screenshot of the media report.
On his absence during the MQT session, he said he had to attend to personal emergency matters in the morning and that the matter had already been communicated.
He added that he had no intention to neglect his responsibilities to answer the question as a finance minister.
"According to SOP (standard operating procedures) of the MQT, only a minister can provide answer and this is not the first time a minister (from other ministries) read the answer by another minister (in the Dewan Rakyat).
"There are many precedents for this," he said.
Tengku Zafrul also gave his assurances that he would provide a written reply to all the additional questions raised by members of parliament during the MQT session.
A commotion erupted in the Dewan Rakyat today over his absence when questions were asked related to scandal-laden 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) and SRC International Sdn Bhd.
During the MQT session, Padang Serai MP M. Karupaiya wanted the finance minister to explain the amount that had been paid by the government for debts related to 1MDB and SRC International.
Karupaiya was also seeking answers from the finance minister on the financial resources being used as well as total value of each of these sources and in whose name all these payments were made.
Since Tengku Zafrul was not present, the question was instead answered by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Idris Ahmad. - NST

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