KLANG: Senator T. Murugiah is standing firm on his move to meet Selangor executive councillor Teresa Kok and probing her allegation of being served poor food while in detention under the Internal Security Act.

The Deputy Minister in the Prime Minster's Department had come under fire from Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar for "interfering in the affairs of another ministry".

Murugiah said that although he respected Syed Hamid as a senior minister, he had a duty to perform.

"As a junior (deputy) minister and head of the Complaints Bureau, I am receptive to criticism, but investigating complaints, even from the opposition, is one of my responsibilities."

He said the government could not afford to practise double standards and that Kok's allegations of being served food that she compared to dog food, had tarnished the image of the country. Murugiah said he had obtained the green light from his minister, Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, to meet Kok.

"It was not an arbitrary decision on my part, although I did initiate the move."

He also countered allegations that he was "interfering" in the affairs of another ministry, explaining that the Public Complaints Bureau served all ministries.

Last year, the bureau investigated 180 complaints related to the Home Ministry, Of these, 122 were solved while the rest are pending.

He said hundreds of complaints were received against other ministries and government departments, all of which are investigated and the findings forwarded to the prime minister.

"Syed Hamid's criticisms are not justified because probing public complaints is my job and my obligations are to the public while being accountable to the prime minister."

On Tuesday, Syed Hamid slammed Murugiah for implying that those in police custody were not given proper food.

He advised Murugiah to look after his own ministry and said it was not his job to complain about the quality of food, which he claimed met international standards.

During his investigations, Murugiah found that only RM4.50 was spent daily to feed each detainee and suggested that the allocation be increased.