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KUALA LUMPUR – Azma Ahmad, the daughter of Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob, has slammed an allegation that her mother owns a branded luxury handbag worth RM26,500 as nothing more than just baseless slander.
In her Facebook post, Azma said that the handbag in question, which her mother Datin Siti Zabidah Abd Hamid was spotted carrying when she joined the Kelantan government’s entourage in welcoming Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to the state recently, is worth much less than the alleged sum.
“The handbag was a gift from my siblings and I to Umi (mother), which we presented to her on Family Day 2022.
“Looks as if there are no other issues to hype… Umi said it is better to buy gold instead of spending RM26,000 on a handbag,” wrote Asma, as reported by Getaran, the Bahasa Malaysia sister portal of The Vibes.
A photo of Siti Zabidah carrying the allegedly premium accessory while accompanying Yakob with Anwar and his wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail went viral on social media.
Some social media users attached the picture with a screenshot of a luxury handbag resembling the one Siti Zabidah carried – with the advertised price tag at RM26,000.
The Kelantan menteri besar’s communications unit also denied the allegation, characterising it as an attempt to slander the state’s leader.
“This is an attempt to tarnish the image of the Kelantan menteri besar by portraying the handbag belonging to his wife as a luxury good without any proof or checks on the item.
“The truth is that the handbag only costs around RM300, far from the RM26,000 claimed,” the unit said in a Facebook post.
It also expressed disappointment that some were trying to incite the public by hurling wild accusations even as the state government is working hard to manage and help those affected by the floods that hit the state this ongoing monsoon season.
The unit added that it is appalling that the state leadership is being targeted with character assassination during this difficult period. – The Vibes, December 24, 2022