Mukhriz hits out at media for dragging family into publicity storm

ALOR SETAR: Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir has slammed several newspapers for publishing photos sourced from social media of his daughters Meera Alyanna and Melia Serena, which allegedly displayed the extent of his family's wealth.

Mukhriz, who is Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia deputy president, said the Facebook post where the photos came from and the subsequent newspaper reports showed the levels some people would stoop to.

"Why do people need to question our wealth? It's not that we stole the money or obtained it from ill-gotten sources. In fact, many people have also questioned the value of such news," he told a press conference during the lunch break of the state legislative assembly sitting on Monday.

Mukhriz said the whole episode was a personal attack on him and his family.

He said his family would meet their lawyer and discuss the possibility of taking legal action against the Facebook user and the newspapers that published the reports.

Several Malay and Chinese papers had published news reports about his daughters' alleged lavish lifestyle, together with pictures of one of his daughters on a private boat named "Puteri Alyanna".

The reports used 14 pictures posted on the "Sudahlah Mahathir" Facebook account, reproducing photos taken from the Instagram accounts of the two sisters, together with some allegations towards the source of the family's wealth.