KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 14 — Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin has denied that a private group under her patronage was among those directed by Perikatan Nasional (PN) to discredit Umno.

The message, purportedly from the PN information chief, instructed the coalition as well as Pertubuhan Penggerak Komuniti Negara Malaysia (PKN) to depict Umno as power hungry over the party’s move to reconsider support for the ruling coalition.

Datuk Seri Azmin Ali is the PN information chief.

Zuraida, who is the patron of PKN, denied that the group or any of its wings were involved in such a smear campaign.

"I hope the irresponsible party ceases spreading such falsehoods. The PN government's focus now is to combat the Covid-19 pandemic and restore the nation's economy to ensure the rakyat can prosper and fare well together," she said in a statement.

A Twitter user posted a screen capture of the supposed orders from Azmin’s office that were ostensibly in response to Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan’s statement about the possible withdrawal of support for PN.

The PN government would effectively collapse without the backing of Umno’s lawmakers as the coalition is believed to only have the support of 113 lawmakers in the 222-seat Parliament.

The purported smear campaign included orders to portray Umno as self-serving and treacherous, and included separate directives to play up a #AbahJagaKita hashtag on social media.

Abah is a Malay term of endearment for “father” and PN has sought to portray Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddn Yassin as a father-figure of sorts to Malaysia, with mixed success.

Muhyiddin has also used the term Abah as a self reference in at least one of his special addresses to the country.

Yesterday, Umno said it would review its support for PN unless the party received improved terms and that it would consider formalising the Muafakat Nasional pact with PAS.

The statement came after Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim met with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong at Istana Negara over the former’s claim to have secured the support of over 120 MPs to take over the federal government.