LIM Guan Eng has called on deputy minister Zahidi Zainul Abidin to resign over his series of howlers, which include sharing fake news and bullying Sabahan student Veveonah Mosibin.

The DAP secretary-general said that the deputy communications and multimedia minister had breached his work ethics and professionalism by repeatedly sharing fake information.

“Zahidi likes to tell people not to spread fake news but he himself is guilty of doing so by sharing false information about 18-year-old Sabahan, Veveonah.

“Even after apologising for wrongly accusing Veveonah of lying, he went on to say he would investigate further on her claims of having poor internet connection.

“He also blamed DAP for politicising this issue but now the cabinet itself is blaming Zahidi for making inaccurate statement,” said the Bagan MP in a statement.

Lim added that while the people are still angry with Zahidi over his treatment of Veveonah, the deputy minister got himself entangled in a new issue with his incorrect statement on surcharges for online purchases.

On Tuesday, Zahidi had said that the government would impose a 20 sen charge for purchases costing between RM200 and RM1,000 on online platforms such as Lazada and Shopee.

He added the measure was aimed at raising funds to help the B40 group, as well as to improve telecommunications infrastructure in rural areas.

However, a day later, the ministry clarified and corrected the deputy minister’s statement by saying it has no intention of imposing any such surcharge.

This is the second time in less than a week that the deputy minister has been called out for his statements.

Last week, in the Dewan Negara, he accused Veveonah of faking her online exam to garner views for her YouTube video channel. He later apologised to Veveonah and said he had received “inaccurate information” on the matter.

“Zahidi has lost his credibility and must be replaced by someone who is more capable,” said Lim. – September 10, 2020.