The political secretary to the Penang chief minister, Teh Lai Heng, today urged the police to investigate the mastermind behind the proliferation of a photograph of (Penang chief minister) Chow Kon Yeow (above) containing fake and libellous information on the issuance of the identity card (MyKad).

Teh said that the chief minister and the state government had never at any time directed any quarter to issue MyKad to any individual, what more to non-citizens.

He said that the statement was libellous to the chief minister and the state government and was aimed at tarnishing the image and reputation of innocent quarters.

‘’The chief minister and the state government clearly respect the Federal Constitution whereby the business of citizenship is clearly under the jurisdiction of the federal government,’’ he told reporters after lodging a police report at the Penang North-East district police headquarters here today.

He hoped that the police could investigate further so that the quarters responsible for disseminating the statement could be appropriately punished under the law.

Teh, who is also Komtar state assemblyperson, said the statement contained Chow’s photograph with the declaration, ‘’The chief minister and the Penang state government have absolute power to award the MyKad to individuals who are not citizens and outsiders are urged not to interfere in the business of the state government’’.

He said the spread of the false statement via the WhatsApp chat application had started yesterday.

Earlier, Penang state government Information Division communications director, Yap Lee Ying also stressed that the Federal Constitution had provided that the business of citizenship was under the federal government.

‘’As such, on behalf of the chief minister, I wish to categorically deny the slander of the irresponsible parties which is clearly aimed at tarnishing the image and reputation of the chief minister and state government,’’ she added. - Bernama