KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 1 — Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi revealed today that the reception for his son's wedding in Indonesia in August had been organised entirely by the latter's father-in-law.
Zahid, who was responding to recent questions raised over the timing of his visit to the republic, was quoted in Malaysiakini as saying that he did not spend anything for the event.
"My son married the Indonesian girl earlier in Kuala Lumpur," he explained in a press conference, according to the news portal.
The Umno leader said that his son's father-in-law, knowing that he was planning an official trip to Indonesia in August, then decided to organise the reception in Jakarta in time for his visit.
"I did not spend any money to entertain anybody. The function was not mine, was my besan (in-laws).
"I didn't spend any money for any minister and guests from Malaysia to attend the wedding," Zahid was quoted saying.
The deputy prime minister also questioned why Shahbudin Husin, the Umno blogger who questioned Zahid's Indonesia visit, had not publicly asked him to explain the matter.
"I am not abusing public funds," he insisted, according to Malaysiakini.
In a September 20 blog post, Shahbudin had said that Zahid’s four-day official visit to Indonesia was the latter’s first since taking over as deputy prime minister in July.
He noted that the second day of Zahid’s visit was also the day of the wedding reception of his son in Jakarta.
Among other things, Shahbudin questioned when both events were planned and also asked who footed the bill for the trip.
Yesterday, Shahbudin claimed that he was questioned by local Internet regulators over the blog post.
The former journalist said he was asked to appear yesterday at the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) headquarters to have his statement recorded over the September 20 post titled "Kenapa lawatan rasmi Zahid ke Indonesia sama tarikh dengan majlis sanding anaknya di Jakarta?" (Why is Zahid’s official visit to Indonesia the same date as his son’s wedding reception in Jakarta?).
He also claimed that MCMC personnel had visited his house on Monday with a letter to order him to show up at the regulator’s office, adding that he was told that the MCMC probe on him was due to a complaint from one of Zahid’s officers.
He said he was told by MCMC investigators that the probe was carried out under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, which covers the improper use of network facilities or network services.
The offence is punishable by a maximum RM50,000 fine, a two-year jail term or both, and with a further RM1,000 fine for each day where the offence continues to be committed after an individual is convicted.
