Main pic caption: Former prime minister (PM) Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (left) at his audience with the Saudi Arabian Crown Prince-cum-PM Mohammed bin Salman on March 9, 2021.
PRIME Minister (PM) Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will have to face the music regarding his official visit to Saudi Arabia during the PM’s Question’s Time (PMQT) tomorrow (March 28).
This comes as Bersatu Youth chief Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal has blasted the PM’s recent official visit (March 24-26) as a failure and a shame for the country because he did not manage to meet the country’s leader during his three-day trip.
According to the Machang MP, various questions pertaining to Anwar’s visit were not only raised by Perikatan Nasional (PN) MPs but Malaysians as a whole.
“In our opinion, this visit failed because as informed by Wisma Putra in its media statement before the Prime Minister went to Saudi Arabia, he was allegedly invited by King Salman Abdulaziz Al Saud himself and the Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman,” he told a media conference at the Dewan Rakyat lobby today.
“This needs to be resolved by the PM himself at the PMQT. We hope that the questions to be brought by the opposition will be answered by Anwar himself. We’ll be there, we are not running away or going to report the police, we want to hear the answer in the august Dewan Rakyat itself.”
Added Wan Fayhsal: “This is a clear concern and even embarrassing for the country. We do not want to blame Wisma Putra nor do we want to blame the Saudi government. We want to ask why the PM’s Department hastily said as if there was an official invitation when there was none.”
On the contrary, the former national unity deputy president said when former PM and PN chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was invited to Saudi Arabia, he was able to meet King Salman.
“If the invitation was made officially, why was there no official meeting like the one received by the Pagoh MP (Muhyiddin) around March 2021 during his official visit to Saudi Arabia?” asked Wan Fayhsal.
“At that time, Muhyiddin was personally welcomed by the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmann and taken to the palace himself for a four-point meeting. At the end of the meeting, Malaysia managed to get an increase in the quota of pilgrims (10,000) as well as a 500,000- metric tonne (MT) increase valued at RM1 bil in terms of palm oil-based products.” – March 27, 2023
Main pic credit: Bernama
