Netherlands holiday picture is an old one - Khairuddin

Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali has denied going on holiday to the Netherlands when the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) was in force, as reported by a news portal.

The Kuala Nerus Member of Parliament said the picture displayed in the report, of his wife and himself in the Netherlands, was an old photograph which was taken in 2016.

''I did not go to the Netherlands lately (but) in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 for other projects, and not during this RMCO, I only went to Turkey during the RMCO.

''As far as I can remember, the picture was (taken) in 2016 when I went to the Netherlands to meet with officers of the International Crime Court (ICC) to take Israel to court in a crime case against Palestine.

''As a result of a meeting in 2018, I went again in May 2019 for a second negotiation and now it in the process of taking the case to court,'' he told reporters after launching the Perak level RRIMNIAGA, here, today.

Mohd Khairuddin was commenting on a report which displayed a picture of his wife and himself with a windmill, which is synonymous with the Netherlands, as a backdrop.

He stressed that he would take legal action against the media organisation for making a false report.

''Anybody who concocts fake news in the Internet will be receiving a letter of summons from my lawyer.

''Today, I ordered my lawyer to sue a news company which made a false news about me and my wife going to the Netherlands. I hope no more reporters will make fake news,'' he said.

Regarding the investigation concerning a report on flouting the mandatory quarantine order, Mohd Khairuddin said he was still waiting for developments from the police.

Mohd Khairuddin faced public criticisms and in fact there were those who were urging him to step down from his post for failure to comply with the mandatory house quarantine after returning from Turkey in July.

Bukit Aman, prior to this, had opened an investigation paper against the minister and 27 police reports were received on the matter from all over the country.