KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 25 — The Selangor Mentri Besar is now seeking a public apology from local paper Utusan Malaysia for allegedly publishing a "lie" that he had purportedly approved a beer festival.

Azmin's aide Yin Shao Loong accused the Bahasa Malaysia-language paper of "false and dishonest reporting".

"It is an utter lie that Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali has approved any beer festival and disregarded police advice as falsely reported by Utusan Malaysia today on its front page.

"We challenge Utusan Malaysia to produce proof that he had said any such thing," the strategic communications director at the Selangor Mentri Besar's office said in a statement today.

Yin said Azmin is currently in India on an official investment trip, but has instructed his lawyers to issue a legal notice of demand to Utusan Malaysia.

"He demands an unconditional retraction, public apology and damages from Utusan Malaysia," Yin said.

Yin then reiterated Azmin's previous comments that any decision on beer festivals falls under the local authorities' jurisdiction and must comply with all rules and regulations, explaining that the latter had said he would not pre-empt the local authority in this matter.

"As Menteri Besar it is his solemn duty to uphold and follow the laws, by-laws and procedures of the State," he said.

Umno-owned daily Utusan Malaysia's editors today slammed Azmin for purportedly not rejecting any beer festival to be held in the state.

Yesterday, Azmin was reported by national news agency Bernama as saying that the organiser of the upcoming Better Beer Festival has to comply with all regulations of the local authorities if it plans to relocate the Kuala Lumpur event to Selangor.

He reportedly said the Selangor government respects the rights of the minorities but noted that existing laws must be complied with.

Following Islamist party PAS's objections and claims that the event would encourage immorality, the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) last week rejected the organiser's August 28 application for the Better Beer Festival that was slated to be held on October 6 and 7 in a mall in the capital city.

The police then claimed the beer festival had to be cancelled because it could be a target for militants. MCA also claimed the event was banned for security, not religious reasons.

The festival, which would this year feature 43 breweries worldwide of 250 types of craft beer, had been held annually in Malaysia for the past five years since it started in 2012.