Dr Zaliha denies Myanmar refugee camp involvement, cites KL Strike Force crackdown
Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa has dismissed claims she attended or officiated groundbreaking ceremonies for Myanmar refugee settlements, calling social media allegations "false and malicious" in a Facebook post.
Source: The Sun Malaysia · September 27, 2026 at 3:02 PM · AI-assisted report
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KUALA LUMPUR, 27 SEPTEMBER 2026 —
Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa has dismissed claims she attended or officiated groundbreaking ceremonies for Myanmar refugee settlements, calling social media allegations "false and malicious" in a Facebook post.
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She denied any relationship with an individual in a disputed photograph, stating it was taken at the ASEAN Sustainable Urbanisation Forum (ASUF) in Kuala Lumpur on August 12, 2025, where she delivered a special address alongside Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof. The event was open to public registration, she noted, meaning she could not identify every attendee.
Dr Zaliha, the former minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) and Sekijang MP, argued that a photograph with a participant does not imply personal ties or endorsement. She also accused unnamed parties of manipulating images to create a false narrative and vowed to report the matter to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) for legal review.
The denial comes amid her record of enforcing security measures in Kuala Lumpur, including the KL Strike Force—an integrated task force she established to combat illegal settlements and foreign nationals operating without authorisation. Its first operation targeted an illegal Myanmar refugee camp in Bandar Baru Sentul, she said, framing her actions as consistent with stricter enforcement policies.
For Malaysian business readers, the dispute highlights ongoing tensions between humanitarian concerns and regulatory crackdowns in the Federal Territory, where illegal settlements pose security and economic challenges. The KL Strike Force’s operations, including raids on unauthorised structures, reflect the government’s hands-on approach to managing these issues.
The MCMC has previously blocked 101.66 million scam calls from February to August, underscoring the regulatory environment’s sensitivity to misinformation and illegal activities. While Dr Zaliha’s rebuttal centres on political and legal clarity, the broader context remains tied to Malaysia’s balancing act between enforcement and humanitarian obligations.