KUCHING, June 16: The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) rebuts an allegation by Sarawak Report that Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had breached rules during his two-week self-quarantine at home and had gone abroad to seek medical treatment for cancer.
In a statement, the PMO asserted that several medical experts have confirmed Muhyiddin is cleared of cancer and medically fit to carry out his duties.
“With regards to YAB Tan Sri Muhyiddin’s health conditions, as reported in the media previously, several medical experts have confirmed that there is no evidence of cancer currently and there is no evidence of the recurring of the disease, and therefore the Prime Minister is medically fit to carry out his duties.”
The statement was accompanied by medical reports issued by Dr Lam Kai Seng of Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur and Tan Sri Datuk Dr K Ampikaipakan of AMPI Chest and Medical Clinic Sdn Bhd which confirmed that Muhyiddin is currently cancer-free.
The report disclosed that Muhyiddin had pancreatic cancer which was diagnosed in 2018 and subsequently fully treated including surgery to remove the tumour followed by a period of intensive chemotherapy that has since been completed almost two years ago.
Both doctors revealed they were appalled at the false reporting that has no basis and gave assurance Muhyiddin is fit to serve the people and nation.
PMO thus categorically stated that the content in the online report was completely baseless and the allegations were malicious.
The Prime Minister, the PMO emphasised, had observed the self-quarantine order for 14 days from 22 May, 2020 following the standard operating procedure (SOP) advised by the Ministry of Health. He entered quarantine after chairing a post-cabinet meeting which was attended by an officer who was later confirmed positive for Covid-19.
During the quarantine period, the PMO added, the Prime Minister strictly adhered to the SOP and did not leave his house as all official duties were conducted from home including holding a video conference with Senior Minister of Defence and Director-General of Health.
“Therefore, the allegations made by the Sarawak Report news portal that the Prime Minister had broken quarantine rules and flew overseas are baseless and merely a fiction created by the writer.
“The writer and the news portal must be held accountable for the false allegations hurled at the Prime Minister. The burden of proof is on the writer to back these frivolous claims regarding the private jet, hospital in Singapore and doctors as alleged.
“The failure to do so shows that the report is of malicious intent and is nothing but a smear campaign on the Prime Minister.”
PMO pressed that this was an unnecessary distraction at a time when the country is facing an unprecedented health pandemic and monumental economic challenges ahead.
Meanwhile, in a June 9 report titled “Malaysia’s Criminal Coup Unfurls”, Sarawak Report claimed it had been informed by reliable sources that Muhyiddin broke home quarantine on May 26.
It claimed he had travelled to Singapore by private jet “where he remained overnight to receive chemotherapy treatment for the resurgence of his pancreatic cancer”. — DayakDaily
