MITI to probe alleged Facebook insult by sec-gen against Cabinet

By BY BOO SU-LYN | The Malay Mail Online – 1 hour 44 minutes

Deputy Trade minister Datuk Ahmad Maslan (pictured) said MITI would investigate whether its secretary-general had insulted the Cabinet as alleged by a Facebook post. — File pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 23 — An investigation will be conducted into a Facebook post in which the secretary-general of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) purportedly insulted Cabinet members, including Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, its deputy minister Datuk Ahmad Maslan said today.

Ahmad was responding in Parliament to Bintulu MP Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing who had reportedly spotted a Facebook post in which MITI secretary-general Tan Sri Dr Rebecca Fatima Sta Maria supposedly called the PM an “incapable worthless cow” during a dinner attended by foreign envoys, local CEOs and executives several months ago.

“On the accusation towards the KSU, I called the minister just now and the minister said an investigation will be conducted into the Facebook post,” Ahmad told Parliament, using the Malay initials for secretary-general.

“We take this as a serious accusation and we’ll investigate it,” he added.

News portal Malaysiakini had reported Tiong as citing from the Facebook post — written by someone who presumably attended the dinner — in which Sta Maria allegedly said “the government should shut down and MITI does not care because they can run by itself without those useless ministers”.

However, the news report did not elaborate on the insult against Najib.

Tiong said if the incident was true, Sta Maria should be sacked.

“I don’t want to see this type of government officer in the civil service,” the Barisan Nasional lawmaker said.