KUALA LUMPUR: Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman has blamed the media for making a “fuss” over the RM4 million allocation to upgrade sporting infrastructure in the Tanjung Piai parliamentary constituency.
He said this after news reports questioned the timing of the funding for the purpose,
just weeks before the parliamentary by-election was set to take place.
Last week, the Muar MP announced that the his ministry had allocated RM4 million to upgrade six futsal courts and one football field in Tanjung Piai.
“The media had never asked me about this before, and it is only now the media want ask me about the sports infrastructure there (Tanjung Piai).
“I did not go to make a speech saying that this was a new allocation, but the media asked what was the latest sports development there, so I answered them,” he said at the Parliament lobby today.
Syed Saddiq also stressed that the allocation was already made beforehand based on a discussion with the late Tanjung Piai MP, Datuk Dr Md Farid Md Rafik, on developing the constituency’s sports infrastructure.
“I cannot answer for other ministers, but the allocation for the sports infrastructure was requested by the late Yang Berhormat Farid and approved by the ministry,” he said.
The move by Syed Saddiq was also questioned by parliamentary opposition leader Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who reportedly said the Pakatan Harapan government was going against it promise by indulging in vote buying.
On a separate matter, Syed Saddiq denied that a woman in a baju kebaya captured in a video that has since gone viral via the social media platform was his personal assistant.
He clarified that the woman was part of a delegation from local esports company, Orange E-sports, who met him in Putrajaya yesterday.
“I have heard rumours that she is my personal assistant or my secretary. That is clearly slander. You can check the records on the ministry’s website. It will affirm the fact.
“In the world of politics, slander and gossip are inseparable.
“I also saw the news that she is a transgender, some even used the word pondan (transvestite).
“I was informed that she is a mother of two. So that answers itself,” Syed Saddiq said.
He also said the meeting with the woman, who was part of the esports delegation, followed the standard operating procedure and denied reports that the woman was granted any contracts by the ministry.
