G Sivamalar claimed in a Facebook post last week that Zaliha was once offered RM50 million to drop the GEG policy but that the former minister rejected the proposition without hesitation.

When contacted today, Sivamalar said she had filed a report with the anti-graft agency to clarify the situation.

“The news went viral and was taken out of context. I made a report to MACC to clarify what I meant,” she told FMT.

In a separate statement today, Sivamalar said her social media post was never intended to allege misconduct or suggest that any improper engagement took place.

She said the sole purpose of the Facebook post was to highlight Zaliha’s integrity and leadership.

“Unfortunately, a small portion was extracted without context and has since gone viral, resulting in misunderstanding.

“In my assessment at the time, there was no serious or explicit bribery offer that met the threshold requiring immediate reporting. Had there been any clear, direct or explicit attempt to offer a bribe, it would have been reported to the authorities without hesitation,” she said.

Sivamalar said her report to MACC today was to “formally place the full facts on record and to clarify”.

“I remain prepared to provide further clarification if needed,” she added.

The Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism yesterday urged MACC to probe the claim and make its findings public.

It said the MACC Act makes it an offence to even attempt bribery, and that the perpetrator could therefore be found liable for the offence although Zaliha may not have accepted the bribe.

The group also reminded civil servants that the MACC Act requires that offers of bribes be reported to the anti-graft agency or police.

Zaliha was health minister from December 2022 to December 2023.

The Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Bill initially contained the GEG components that sought to ban smoking and vaping for those born after 2007, but the GEG policy was scrapped following a collective decision by Putrajaya.