Friday 29 Mar 2024
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KUALA LUMPUR (March 17): Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz has denied the speculation that he has resigned as finance minister. 

In a Facebook post, the former banker explained his absence in Parliament during the Ministers' Question Time (MQT) at the Dewan Rakyat on Thursday (March 17) morning was due to personal emergencies that he had to attend to. 

The finance minister issued the statement to clarify Utusan Malaysia’s report that he had resigned as he was not present in the Dewan Rakyat to table the Supplementary Supply Bill 2021 (2022).  

Speculation of his resignation was rife as Tengku Zafrul once told the media that he is ready to resign on any decision affecting his ministry that he believes is wrong. 

"I would like to refer to the report from Utusan Malaysia asking if I had resigned. This is in relation to the tabling of the Supplementary Supply Bill 2021 (2022) by Deputy Finance Minister I Datuk Indera Mohd Shahar Abdullah in Parliament. In fact, this is based on our planning. 

"On the issue of absence from Parliament during the MQT session, I would like to clarify that there were some personal emergencies that had to be taken care of this morning, and this matter was already communicated yesterday (Wednesday). I have no intention of not fulfilling my responsibility as Minister of Finance and answering questions,” he commented.

According to the standard procedures for MQT, only the minister can give answers, Tengku Zafrul said.

"This is not the first time that a minister has been asked to read out the answers of another minister. There are many precedents for this. Thank you, YB Minister of Religion, for reading my response. Any additional questions I will answer in writing and I apologise to YB Padang Serai as well as YB Tumpat and YB Pokok Sena (who asked additional questions) for the inconvenience caused," Tengku Zafrul wrote on Facebook.

Edited ByKathy Fong
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