Sabah governor’s office says Tun Musa’s Dubai stopover was transit on official visit to Egypt, refutes false claims.
KOTA KINABALU: Claims circulating on social media alleging that Sabah Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Musa Aman travelled to Dubai for personal reasons are entirely false and misleading, the Yang Dipertua Negeri Sabah Office said.
In a statement posted on Facebook, the office clarified that the trip undertaken earlier this year was an official visit to Egypt, with Dubai serving only as a transit stop for aircraft refuelling before the journey continued to Cairo.
Tun Musa’s official programme in Egypt focused on strengthening educational cooperation and looking after the welfare of Sabah students studying in the country. During the visit, he witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Sabah Islamic Religious Council (MUIS) and Dar Al-Ifta Al-Misriyyah, held discussions with Al-Azhar University, officiated the opening of the Al-Imam Al-Tayeb Hall, and attended a Majlis Mahabbah with about 350 Sabah students.
“Tun Musa’s commitment to Sabah students has been longstanding. During his tenure as Chief Minister, he initiated the acquisition of a student hostel in Egypt worth millions of ringgit, ensuring Sabah students had dedicated accommodation at a time when several other Malaysian states had already established similar facilities for their students. This reflected his enduring commitment to the welfare, comfort and future of Sabah’s young people,” the statement read.
Addressing claims over the use of the official aircraft to perform Umrah after the visit, the office said the privilege was granted at the discretion of the Sabah government, and had also been extended to the previous Yang Dipertua Negeri during his tenure.
“It is therefore regrettable that certain quarters continue to misrepresent Tun Musa’s official travel arrangements as a misuse of public funds. Such allegations are baseless and appear intended to tarnish his reputation and draw the Institution of the Yang Dipertua Negeri into partisan political narratives for narrow political interests,” it said.
The office urged all parties to refrain from spreading false or misleading information and to uphold responsible public discourse based on facts and respect for the institutions of the state.
