Jamil Khir denies abusing funds, demands public apology

(Bernama) – Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Jamil Khir Baharom today refuted the allegation that he had abused funds for orphans to make an overseas trip and described it as a defamatory statement with malicious distortion of the facts.

As such, he demanded the director of NOW (National Oversight and Whistleblowers) Akmal Nasir and The Malaysian Insider retract the allegations and defamatory statement and to offer a public apology to him within 24 hours.

“If not, I will initiate a lawsuit for defamation through my lawyer because this has degraded my dignity and credibility,” he said in a statement here today.

The Malaysian Insider yesterday published Akmal’s allegations that the minister had used Islamic Economic Development Foundation (YaPEIM) funds meant for orphans and poor children on a trip to the United States (US) last year.

Jamil Khir said his visit to the US from May 21 to 29, 2014 was upon an invitation to programmes organised by various agencies under his purview, including YaPEIM, in collaboration with the Malaysian Embassy in the US.

The programmes include the Education Malaysia (EM) Chicago, which was held in conjunction with the Mid West Game, that has lured over 1,000 students from the US and Canada, he said.

“The allegation that my trip to the US was leisurely and using orphans’ funds is a big slander and an attempt to degrade my credibility and dignity as the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department,” he said.

He said “it is not fair to only show a few documents which are confusing and not showing the entire programmes involving me.”

Jamil Khir said he was always open and willing to give full cooperation to the authority to investigate any misappropriation of funds involving himself or agencies under his purview.

“There is nothing to hide because everything is done according to the procedures,” he added.