No instructions to Amanah man on promoting palm oil, says Zuraida

Putrajaya today denied claims by an Amanah MP that he had been sent to Iran to discuss the purchase of palm oil from Malaysia, in the aftermath of outrage over his absence during the floods crisis which left his constituents in Selangor struggling to piece back their lives.

Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin said there was no truth to the claims by Hulu Langat MP Hasanuddin Mohd Yunus.

“I have received confirmation from the Strategic Planning and International Division that no information was given or requested of YB Hulu Langat regarding the matters raised in the reports,” she told MalaysiaNow.

Yesterday, Hasanuddin told reporters that his meeting with the Iranian deputy president was extended as he had raised the issue of palm oil in order that the Middle Eastern country would purchase more of the commodity from Malaysia.

He had previously come under fire from social media users after posting a picture of himself at a mountain ski resort in Gunung Tochal, Iran on Dec 18 as his constituency was flooding due to the heavy rain.

Many had urged him to return home and to fulfil his duty as an elected representative to help those affected by the unprecedented floods.

He later said that he had been following the flood developments in Hulu Langat and was trying to book the earliest flight back to the country.

He has since been seen in Hulu Langat, monitoring the situation of flood victims around his constituency.