#SHOWBIZ: Zainal Abidin: 'Anyone claiming to be my child should carry my name too'
KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Zainal Abidin has opted not to address his daughter Timur Gabriel's claims that he made no effort to improve their relationship.
"For me, only those who carry my name as part of their full name I consider my offspring. If not, they are not my children. That's my answer," the 65-year-old said when approached at the press conference for Konsert Legasi P. Ramlee, held yesterday at Studio Merdeka Complex in Hulu Kelang.
Zainal added that Timur's allegations did not affect him.
"There's nothing to explain. She can say whatever she wants," he remarked.
"I won't respond to her at all. Why should I? I believe Allah knows best."
He further asserted that he did not need to share personal matters with everyone, and as an accomplished artiste, he was only comfortable discussing his work and music.
"I'm not a TikToker or influencer who needs to sell private stories to chase likes, popularity, and ultimately earn money from that," he said.
"I don't need people like that around me. They can talk as much as they want, because what they say isn't the truth."
In January, Timur Gabriel claimed that her relationship with her father had deteriorated, and they were no longer in contact despite having each other's phone numbers.
The London and Berlin-based actress also expressed her annoyance that Zainal seemed uninterested in her life and career.
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