THE netizen who falsely associated a woman with dubious financial transactions linked to the littoral combat ship (LCS) scandal, has apologised for doing so.
Kenneth Chai made a public apology on Twitter yesterday (Aug 22), two days after he wrongly linked Dialog Group Bhd chief financial officer and joint secretary Zainab Mohd Salleh to the alleged misappropriation of over RM230 mil.
“This is a mistake on my part, which I regret and understand to have caused unnecessary distress to her family,” said the self-described teacher and farmer. “Therefore, I am extending this public apology to Zainab’s family.”
Chai, who is also the pro-tem president and founder of Parti Aspirasi Sains Malaysia, added that he took down his Twitter thread and spoke to Zainab’s daughter on the matter.
Her daughter had taken to Twitter to lambast Chai over his allegation, pointing out that her mother had been slandered over his tweets.
Yesterday (Aug 22), Dialog denied the involvement of Zainab in the scandal, with the oil and gas support services provider saying that she was wrongly identified as a shareholder of Alizes Marine Limited.
It also clarified that Zainab is the spouse of Ara Damansara Medical Centre consultant gynecologist-oncologist Dr Noor Azmi Mat Adenan.
“Any false accusation or misleading statement issued and/or directed towards Dialog Group Berhad, its subsidiaries, including its directors and/or employees, will not be treated lightly,” it added.
“We will not hesitate to take necessary legal action in respect of such accusations or misleading statements.”
Damning claim
Yesterday, PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli made a damning claim that offshore companies linked to Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Special Functions) Datuk Abdul Latiff Ahmad’s second wife, Zainab Mohd Salleh, misappropriated funds from the RM9 bil LCS project.
The former Pandan MP alleged that two “fake” companies – Alizes Marine Limited and Alizes Marine Labuan – were appointed as technical consultants for the project and sent invoices for work that was not done. He claimed they also misappropriated money for spare parts.
Rafizi further claimed that Abdul Latiff’s second wife held shares in Alizes Marine Limited and a company that owns shares in Alizes Marine Labuan.
The recently declassified forensic audit report by Boustead Heavy Industries Corp (BHIC) on the LCS scandal also links Zainab to these companies, and further lists her as Abdul Latiff’s spouse.
Abdul Latiff has since denied being married to the woman Rafizi named. The Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) MP added that he would cooperate with the authorities in any investigations on the matter.
Rafizi, meanwhile, has rubbished Abdul Latiff’s denial, saying he would reveal today the connection between Abdul Latiff, his second wife and the aforementioned offshore companies.
The LCS scandal is the talk of the town after it was revealed that not a single ship had been completed – although the Government spent RM6 bil already and five ships should have been delivered to the Royal Malaysian Navy by now.
In 2011, the defence ministry under the Barisan Nasional (BN) Government awarded the RM9 bil LCS contract to Boustead Naval Shipyard Bhd (BNS), with the contract signed in 2014.
UMNO president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was the defence minister from 2009 to 2013, while Abdul Latiff, then with UMNO, was his deputy from 2008. – Aug 23, 2022
