Ministry: Johor MB was told not to visit port

PETALING JAYA: The Foreign Ministry has denied that its minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah gave Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Osman Sapian his “unofficial blessing” to visit the Johor Baru port in Malaysia’s territorial waters.

The ministry said upon learning of the planned visit from a Malaysian enforcement agency on the morning of Jan 9, ministry officials, under the advice of Saifuddin, had immediately and repeatedly contacted Osman’s office and conveyed a message not to proceed with the visit.