Johor Islamic Religious Affairs Committee chairman Mohd Fared Mohd Khaled has demanded that former UMNO Supreme Council (MKT) member Datuk Dr Puad Zarkashi apologise and remove a Facebook post that allegedly defamed him.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Semerah assemblyman strongly denied allegations linking him to governance issues, cronyism and a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigation involving Sultan Ibrahim Johor Islamic University College (KUIJSI).
Mohd Fared said he was deeply saddened that his name had been mentioned in claims made by the former Johor State Assembly Speaker through a Facebook post.
He described the allegations connecting him to the matter in his capacity as a Johor state executive councillor (Exco) as malicious, baseless and defamatory.
“I strongly deny these allegations and maintain that linking me to the matter is a malicious accusation and an irresponsible act of defamation by Datuk Dr Mohd Puad.
“I was never involved in any MACC investigation as claimed. In fact, I had also passed MACC’s screening before being selected again as the Barisan Nasional candidate for the Semerah state seat in the last Johor state election,” he said.
Earlier, Puad questioned the status of the MACC’s investigation into KUIJSI in a Facebook post, alleging issues involving governance and cronyism while linking Mohd Fared to the matter during his tenure as chairman of the board meeting of MARSAH Sdn Bhd.
In the same post, Puad also urged Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi to explain the progress of the investigation and called for full transparency, saying there should be no attempt to conceal the truth.
Responding to the allegations, Mohd Fared said Puad should have verified the facts before making statements that could damage another person’s reputation.
He also reminded the public of the Islamic principle of verifying information before believing or spreading it, in order to avoid injustice against innocent individuals.
Mohd Fared has demanded that Puad withdraw the statement, issue a formal public apology across all media platforms, and remove the Facebook post within 24 hours.
“The apology must be made publicly on all media platforms so that the public clearly understands its intention and meaning.
“If Datuk Dr Mohd Puad fails to do so, I will initiate legal proceedings for defamation to clear my name from these malicious and irresponsible allegations,” he said.
Despite the dispute, Mohd Fared expressed hope that the matter could be resolved amicably and serve as a reminder that differences of opinion should never come at the expense of courtesy, respect and good conduct.
