Zuraida denies fake message saying her NGO told to demonise Umno

NGO Penggerak Komuniti Negara (PKN) has denied a viral message claiming that it received instructions to demonise Umno after the Malay-based party said it was mulling withdrawing its support for Perikatan Nasional (PN).

In a statement today, PKN patron Zuraida Kamaruddin stressed that the organisation was not involved in any such thing.

"This morning, I was alerted about the message circulated on WhatsApp, entitled 'Instruction for media Peggerak Komuniti Negara and Perikatan Nasional' which means an instruction related to a statement made by Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan at PWTC yesterday," she said.

"As patron of PKN, I wish to stress that PKN had never received any such instruction from PN information chief's office as what had been claimed in the WhatsApp message," said Zuraida, who is also the housing and local government minister.

She denied that PKN and all its wings were involved. She said the NGO's wings included the Nations of Women (NOW), Pemuda Negara, and Wanita Muda Negara.

She urged people to stop circulating the false message and added that the PN government was focused on tackling Covid-19 and reviving the country's economy which had been badly hit by the pandemic.

According to the message, the NGO, which is linked to Bersatu supreme council member Azmin Ali, purportedly received instructions from the PN information chief's office to portray Umno as a power-crazy party for supporting opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

In a meeting held last night, the Umno supreme council's Political Bureau decided that the party should consider withdrawing its support for PN and set new terms for continuing its cooperation in the coalition.

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