KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 8 — Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin said today he wishes to meet Veveonah Mosibin, after drawing public ire for alleging the Sabah student had staged a scene of her taking exams on a tree.
Malaysiakini reported that the Umno leader had in Kelantan this morning expressed desire to meet the student, but after accusing the DAP of politicising the issue to allegedly divert public attention from the graft charges against its secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.
“As I had said we will meet but it appears that the issue is being politicised by the DAP who are trying to take advantage of the student,” he was quoted as saying.
“That is why I did not comment on the matter when it surfaced in Parliament, because I wanted to give her the space and not be taken advantage of,” the deputy minister added.
“This means the DAP is trying to capitalise to gain political mileage and divert attention from the [charges against] Lim Guan Eng, corruption and other issues.”
Zahidi has come under fire for suggesting Veveonah was an attention seeker and had faked having to take an online examination in a tree in rural Sabah due to poor internet connectivity, an allegation he made in the senate last week.
The Padang Besar MP from Umno has since apologised and claimed to have received the information from Kudat MP Abdul Rahim Bakri, a Bersatu leader and the deputy finance minister.
Zahidi also defended himself against allegationsof cyberbullying. In a statement today, the deputy minister said he had never made any accusations against Veveonah after he issued the apology.
The Umno leader also said he had explained himself in a press conference held yesterday, where he admitted to have made a mistake based on the information he received from Abdul Rahim.
Zahidi also said he had publicly stated his desire to meet Veveonah so he could listen to her grievances personally at the same press conference.
The postings were in response to allegations of cyberbullying by DAP leader Hannah Yeoh.
The Segambut MP today alleged the two federal deputy ministers were persistent about their accusation that Veveonah had faked taking her online university exams atop a tree, and labelled it cyberbullying.
“Hannah’s act in accusing me of cyberbullying was baseless and an attempt at cheap politics,” Zahidi posted.
“I feel this is the DAP’s disgusting and irrational political culture of stirring emotions by misleading the people to profit politically.”
