(Bernama) - Federal Territories and Urban Well-being Minister Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin has rubbished an allegation that he had a "hidden hand" in the leak of evidence on the controversial National Feedlot Centre (NFC).

He said the allegation was an attempt by the opposition to exploit the NFC issue and weaken Umno and BN.

"The allegation byRaja Petra is libellous," he told a media conference after attending a Maulidur Rasul celebration and presentation of the Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M) at Pantai Dalam today.

He was commenting on Raja Petra's latest entry that he (Raja Nong Chik) was among the "hidden hands" in the NFC issue in which Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil was said to have been linked.

Raja Petra also claimed that Raja Nong Chik did so to ensure his chances of contesting the Lembah Pantai parliamentary seat would not be threatened by Shahrizat, who was the former Lembah Pantai member of parliament before losing the seat to Nurul Izzah Anwar in the last general election.

In refuting Raja Petra's claim, Raja Nong Chik said that Shahrizat, at the Lembah Pantai Umno divisional meeting recently, had expressed her intention not to contest for the seat in the coming general election.

Raja Nong Chik, who is Lembah Pantai Umno division chief, also denied Raja Petra's claim that he was not on talking terms with Shahrizat.

Questioned whether he would be the BN candidate for the Lembah Pantai parliamentary seat in the coming general election, Raja Nong Chik said that it was the prerogative of Prime Minister Najib Razak.