KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 16 — The Defence Ministry yesterday denied former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s accusation that Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu had used a government helicopter to fly to Cameron Highlands on nomination day.
“A picture of the defence minister that shows him arriving in a helicopter was taken on January 9.
“It was taken during the minister’s official visit to the army camp in Slim, Cameron Highlands. The minister returned to Kuala Lumpur on the same day after the visit,” the ministry said in a statement.
The statement further reiterated that the visit had nothing to do with nomination day for the Cameron Highlands by-election, which was on January 12.
“In fact, the personnel at the Slim army base are voters from Sungai Petani, Kedah and not Cameron Highlands,” it added.
The Ministry also said a second picture showing the minister at the nomination centre was taken on January 12 and he had travelled there in his own personal vehicle.
“It is absolutely clear that the two pictures were taken on two different days,” it added.
Najib posted the two pictures on his official Facebook page yesterday, with the first one showing Mohamad Sabu, or popularly known as Mat Sabu, emerging from a helicopter and the second capturing him at the nomination centre for the Cameron Highlands by-election.
In an accompanying message, he accused Mat Sabu of using an official government vehicle to travel to Cameron Highlands to show his support for Pakatan Harapan’s DAP candidate M. Manogaran.
