PM denies DPM talk, says rumours on his health malicious

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has denied rumours on his health, calling them malicious lies.

“Medical experts who treated the prime minister have confirmed him to be cancer-free,” a brief statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said.

The statement also denied a rumour on the appointment of a deputy prime minister.

Since last week, several social media and WhatsApp messages have been claiming that Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein or Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob will be appointed as DPM.

A Chinese daily also made similar claims, which were repeated by a Malay tabloid and an online portal.

Another rumour claimed that Muhyiddin is seeking treatment in Singapore.

This is not the first time the prime minister has had to dispel rumours about his health.

In the aftermath of the 2018 election, Muhyiddin took leave to seek treatment in Singapore to remove a tumour and undergo chemotherapy.

In June last year, the Pantai Medical Centre confirmed that the prime minister was cancer-free.

Earlier today, MalaysiaNow quoted a senior source in Putrajaya as saying that talk on the appointment of a DPM was linked a campaign by hawks in Umno ahead of the party’s general assembly late this month.

A similar rumour surfaced in the run-up to the tabling of the 2021 budget, where it was claimed that Muhyiddin would appoint a DPM from Umno as a form of concession.