Kuala lumpur: Claims circulating on social media alleging that Sabah Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Musa Aman travelled to Dubai for personal reasons are entirely false and misleading, the Yang Dipertua Negeri Sabah Office said today.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the office clarified in a statement posted on the Yang Dipertua Negeri Sabah Facebook page that the trip undertaken earlier this year was an official visit to Egypt, with Dubai serving only as a transit stop for aircraft refuelling before the journey continued to Cairo.

The statement elaborated that Tun Musa's official programme in Egypt was focused on strengthening educational cooperation and looking after the welfare of Sabah students studying in the country. During the visit, he witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Sabah Islamic Religious Council (MUIS) and Dar Al-Ifta Al-Misriyyah, held discussions with Al-Azhar University, officiated the opening of the Al-Imam Al-Tayeb Hall, and attended a Majlis Mahabbah with about 350 Sabah students.

The office emphasized Tun Musa's longstanding commitment to Sabah students, noting his efforts during his tenure as Chief Minister to initiate the acquisition of a student hostel in Egypt worth millions of ringgit. This move ensured that Sabah students had dedicated accommodation, similar to facilities already established by several other Malaysian states for their students.

Addressing claims over the use of the official aircraft to perform Umrah after the visit, the office stated that the privilege was granted at the discretion of the Sabah government. It was noted that the same privilege had been extended to the previous Yang Dipertua Negeri during his tenure.

The statement further expressed regret that certain parties continue to misrepresent Tun Musa's official travel arrangements as a misuse of public funds. The office described such allegations as baseless and seemingly intended to tarnish his reputation and draw the Institution of the Yang Dipertua Negeri into partisan political narratives for narrow political interests.

Finally, the office urged all parties to refrain from spreading false or misleading information and to uphold responsible public discourse based on facts and respect for the institutions of the state.