Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman has denied the claim by an online portal that he attended the alleged “drug party” which subsequently saw the arrests of a lawmaker and a ministry staff.

In a statement, Syed Saddiq asserted that the allegation by the portal Johor Press on Jan 17, that he was present during the party as untrue and designed to tarnish his name and reputation as a minister.

The article alleged that the minister was present at the party before it was busted by police in the wee hours of Sunday morning and was “fortunate” to have left before the raid took place.

It also questioned if the party had purportedly taken place over three days and was organised by a businessperson out to lobby for “large projects” from Syed Saddiq’s ministry.

“I wish to stress that the content of the article by Johor Press is completely untrue. In fact, the claim that there were attempts to ‘lobby for large projects at the ministry’ is wrong and has affected the good image of the ministry.

“Since I became minister, the ministry’s achievements under the Public Service Corruption Ranking (PSCR) by the MACC are better,” he said in a statement today.

Syed Saddiq added his ministry would be lodging a police report on the article. An aide to the minister confirmed with Malaysiakini that a report would be lodged today.

It was reported last week that Bersatu’s Dengkil assemblyperson Adhif Syan Abdullah and political aide Ahmad Redzuan Shafi were among 17 people nabbed at the raid at a condominium along Jalan Puchong on Jan 12.

Inspector-General of Police Abdul Hamid Bador confirmed 16 of those arrested had tested positive for drugs but said a second test was being conducted.

Syed Saddiq later stated that a Youth and Sports Ministry officer, who was among those detained, is to be suspended pending police investigations.

It was also reported that Adhif Syan and Redzuan were suspended from their party posts as Selangor Bersatu Youth chief and Bersatu Youth assistant secretary, respectively, also pending completion of the police probe.

Adhif Syan had denied wrongdoing, claiming he was present to attend a discussion and was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.