Chinese newspaper Sin Chew Daily has apologised to PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli for a report claiming that he had wanted the position of finance minister.

This was after he spoke out about Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's decision to fill the positions of finance minister, home minister and defence minister, which he claimed was done without PKR's consultation.

"Sin Chew Daily reported on the evening of May 13 quoting a source that PKR president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail had indeed planned to attend the Pakatan Harapan leaders' meeting at Bersatu headquarters on May 12 to discuss the new cabinet line-up.

"However, after Rafizi found out that he would not be the next finance minister, he 'advised' Wan Azizah and other PKR leaders to stay away from the meeting.

"Sin Chew Daily regrets misquoting the source, thus causing unintended damage to Rafizi, to whom we would like to extend our most sincere apologies. We have since removed the article from our website," it said.

The apology was published as a news article on its website.

Rafizi yesterday clarified that he had made clear to the PKR leadership since last year that he did not want any government positions and also did not contest in the 14th general election. 

Rafizi had also threatened to sue Sin Chew Daily for the claim.