[ad_1]
PETALING JAYA: Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz refuted claims that he was in Qatar to watch World Cup matches.
The International Trade and Industry Minister said the charges against him were defamatory as he was actually in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, witnessing the agreement between Petronas Abu Dhabi Sdn Bhd and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) .
“When did I go to Qatar to watch the World Cup? I was in Abu Dhabi for the PETRONAS-Adnoc agreement as one of the Malaysian representatives.
“I appeal to Twitterjaya (Twitter users) not to be influenced by fake news,” he said in a video posted on Twitter yesterday to explain his absence from his first meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Monday. A cabinet meeting.
He was responding to allegations that he was absent from the first coalition cabinet meeting, leading it to be believed he was in the Middle East to watch the World Cup.
Tengku Zafrul added that his absence from the Cabinet meeting was not intentional.
“I’ve just been sworn in (as a senator) by the smears and fake news about me skipping a cabinet meeting to watch the World Cup.
“First of all, the World Cup is being held in Doha, Qatar, and I am in Abu Dhabi. Second, I am in Abu Dhabi for business, not leisure.
“Any minister who wants to go abroad has to get the prime minister’s approval. If the prime minister doesn’t approve, you can’t go,” he added.
Tengku Zafrul said he informed the MITI secretary-general and senior officials of his trip to Abu Dhabi shortly after he was sworn in.
Regarding the PETRONAS-Adnoc agreement, he said it was a landmark deal for the oil and gas industry as it involved a 30-year investment between the two countries.
PETRONAS Abu Dhabi Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of PETRONAS, has signed a historic agreement with Adnoc to explore and evaluate the unconventional onshore Block 1, which covers a 2,000 square kilometer concession in the Al Dhafra area.
The process was witnessed by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
[ad_2]
Source link