Former deputy prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin has denied knowledge of data firm Cambridge Analytica's (CA) involvement in the last general election.

"No knowledge. This is the first time I'm hearing of it," said Muhyiddin, who was BN's election director for GE13.

He also claimed that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak kept things to himself.

"Everything he does, he does on his own. I never knew anything," he added.

Muhyiddin, who is now the Bersatu president, was speaking to reporters in Parliament. Also present was former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Mahathir said there was no record of the Kedah government engaging CA.

"The federal government dealt with them, not Kedah," added the Bersatu chairperson.

On its website, CA claimed it had supported BN's election campaign in Kedah with a "targeted messaging campaign" to highlight school improvements since 2008.

Mahathir's son and former Kedah menteri besar Mukhriz Mahathir also pleaded ignorance. 

However, Mukhriz, who is Bersatu's deputy president, admitted that he knew Azrin Zizal, the Southeast Asia head of CA's sister company SCL Group.

Azrin had served as Mukhriz's press officer between 2009 and 2013 when the latter was deputy international trade and investment minister.

CL has landed in the spotlight for alleged unethical practices in data mining and election campaigning, particularly in the US presidential election campaign of 2016.

READ MORE
Granny's blood pressure rises due to CA controversy
Harapan MPs: BN-CA link reeks of 'foreign interference'
Mukhriz pleads ignorance on Cambridge Analytica's role in Kedah
Did you manipulate GE13, Bersatu's Wan Saiful asks Najib
'Sex, lies and bribes' - Trump's election consultants admit to working in M'sia
Cambridge Analytica denies entrapping, says 'grossly misrepresented'
Facebook hires independent auditors to probe alleged data breach
UK authorities seek warrant to search Cambridge Analytica offices
Factbox: What is Cambridge Analytica and what did it do?