Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Abdul Rahman Dahlan said any baseless allegations made by the opposition against the government would only tarnish the country’s image.
“When they accused the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and the Pilgrims Fund Board (Tabung Haji) of being bankrupt, and the government of being incapable of paying the salary of civil servants, it has been seen as an act of sabotaging the image and the economy of the country.
“Although they may have issued such statements or made the remarks at a small gathering, the use of social media applications will make it possible for the statements to reach a larger audience, hence spreading the negative sentiments to our potential foreign investors,” he told Bernama at the Parliament lobby here today.
Rahman said this in response to the remarks by Prime Minister Najib Razak who described the recent visit by Saudi Arabian King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to Malaysia as having dispelled all the false allegations about Malaysia being a failed state.
During question time at the Dewan Rakyat sitting earlier today, Najib said the visit, which was significant from various aspects, proved that the wrong information about Malaysia conveyed to the Saudi Arabian government, was baseless.
Elaborating, Rahman said the opposition should be more careful in issuing their statements as efforts to develop the country were the responsibilities of both the government and the opposition.
The minister said he was happy that the Saudi Arabian government did not fall for all the lies, but rather had brought in large-scale investment that would benefit Malaysia in so many ways.