SYED Hamzah Syed Paie, political secretary to Minister for Entrepreneur Development and Co-operatives Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, has initiated legal action against whistle-blower website The Sarawak Report and the owners of two Facebook accounts, who he accuses of making defamatory statements about him.

Syed Hamzah said he has instructed his lawyers to take legal action against Sarawak Report’s editor Clare Rewcastle Brown in London over an article in which it was alleged Azzahra Product Sdn Bhd, owned by Syed Hamzah’s wife, had received a RM338,950 grant from an agency in the ministry.

Syed Hamzah said he had similarly instructed his lawyers in Kuching to take action against the owners of the Facebook accounts ‘Jap Zainal’ and ‘Pemasang Sarawak Baru’ (PSB).

He also lodged a police report against the two account holders for spreading fake news.

Syed Hamzah said the Sarawak Report article was full of inaccuracies.

Syed Hamzah said the SME Corp grant to Azzahra Product was approved in 2017, long before Wan Junaidi was appointed minister on April 22, 2020.

“The approval, therefore, has nothing to do with Wan Junaidi or me.

“How is it possible for either of us to be involved in approving the grant made four years ago when we only started in the ministry in 2020?” he said.

Syed Hamzah also said Sarawak Report incorrectly stated that he was an owner of the company.

He said he had resigned as a director of the company and disposed of his shares on November 23, 2015.

“I have not owned any shares in the company since then.”

He said Azzahra Product only made the application for the SME Corp grant in 2016.

“These facts contradict the allegations made by Sarawak Report and two Facebook owners, who have falsely and viciously accused Wan Junaidi and me for approving the grant to my wife’s company.” – May 6, 2021.