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Malaysian minister says Umno chief had dinner with Anwar loyalists amid lockdown

2021-07-14 00:00:00.0 海峡时报-亚洲原网页

PETALING JAYA (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - A day after getting fined RM2,000 (S$640) for violating Covid-19 health protocols, a Malaysian Cabinet minister has tweeted photos of Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and two opposition MPs allegedly dining together despite the current ban on sit-down dinners at restaurants.

Federal Territories Minister Annuar Musa on Monday (July 12) uploaded a photo of Mr Zahid eating with Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail , secretary-general of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), and MP Datuk Johari Abdul.

Both men are loyalists of PKR president and opposition chief Anwar Ibrahim.

"Eating from the same tray is really delicious... more so when dining-in at a restaurant during the MCO," Tan Sri Annuar tweeted.

In one of the three photos uploaded, the three men were pictured standing up at what appeared to be inside a restaurant without wearing masks.

In another there were sitting down and sharing a meal that contains chicken.

In the third photo, Mr Zahid was seen giving a copy of his book Impactful Speeches to Mr Saifuddin.

The Star was unable to verify when these pictures were taken.

Though Mr Annuar is from Umno, he had a bitter falling out with Mr Zahid over whether the party should remain with the government led by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, or should abandon it.

Mr Annuar was issued with a RM2,000 fine for violating Covid-19 protocols after he broke movement control order (MCO) rules on movement restrictions by visiting former prime minister Tun Abdullah Badawi to have lunch on Saturday (July 10).

And back in February, Mr Annuar was fined RM1,000 after he was seen dining with six others.

Under Malaysia's lockdown rules, restaurants are banned from offering sit-down dinners. People from different households aren't supposed to meet unless in exceptional cases amid a surge in Covid-19 infections.

When contacted, Mr Saifuddin said Mr Annuar should show proof of his allegations.

"If Annuar said I ate at a restaurant then he should know where the restaurant is. And if he said it was during the MCO period then he should know the date.

"I will wait for him to reveal this... before I can respond. It is only fair because he is the one who released the pictures. He must have gotten the pictures from someone and he should know the source," Mr Saifuddin said on Tuesday (July 13).