Muhyiddin denies having posted Facebook statement on Mukhriz

UMNO Deputy President Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today denied he had posted a statement on a Facebook account claiming that the Umno disciplinary committee had acted against vice-presidential candidate Datuk Mukhriz Tun Dr Mahathir.

Muhyiddin, who is the deputy prime minister and Pagoh UMNO Division head, said the Facebook account which carried the statement did not belong to him and that he had requested the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to probe the matter.

"I deny having issued a statement carried on a Facebook account claiming action by the UMNO disciplinary committee against Datuk Mukhriz.

"I did not issue such a statement and the FB (Facebook) account is not mine," he said in a press statement issued at the Seri Pekembar Complex in Pagoh here.

Muhyiddin said he had asked the MCMC to immediately conduct an investigation into the Facebook account. The post on the false Facebook account, detected at 8.30 am today, stated that Mukhriz had been dropped as an Umno vice-presidential candidate.

Mukhriz, the Kedah menteri besar, is one of six people contesting the three posts of vice-president. The others are incumbents Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein and Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, and former Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam and Felda chairman Tan Sri Mohd Isa Samad.

The post, among other things, stated that the UMNO disciplinary committee had decided that the candidate was found to have violated party ethics and had distributed money at a special programme recently.

"I hope the Umno disciplinary board will investigate the matter as soon as possible," said the post.

Meanwhile, it was reported in KUALA LUMPUR that Muhyiddin had also posted the denial statement on his official Facebook account, in which he also requested the MCMC to investigate the false Facebook account.