Malaysia dubs foreign reporting on 1MDB as fake news

Updated 6 years ago · Published on 11 Mar 2018 8:18PM · 20 Comments

FOREIGN newspapers and broadcasters are spreading fake news about 1Malaysia Development Bhd as part of an agenda to damage Prime Minister Najib Razak’s reputation ahead of the 14th general election, said a deputy minister today.

Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Jailani Johari warned the foreign media to stop putting out fake news on 1MDB, which has been mired in scandal over its debts and alleged leakages said to have funded luxury purchases and movie productions.

“The ministry has identified several news portals that are trying to revive the 1MDB issue following the seizure of the Equanimity. Among those portals are The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), The New York Times, The Economist, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and the latest, MSNBC,” Sinar Harian quoted Jailani as saying.

He said fake news pertaining to 1MDB is being spread to tarnish Najib’s credibility.

“While the government is trying to combat fake news here, these issues are brought up by sources from outside the country.”

He said fake news on 1MDB has been detected since last week.

“We believe that these efforts are by certain quarters who have a political agenda and are trying to damage the prime minister’s good name ahead of GE14.”

He said the ministry is monitoring the situation through the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, and advised the portals to stop publishing fake news on 1MDB.

“The investigations into 1MDB have proven that the allegations of abuse and loss of money are untrue. The case was investigated by the authorities, including the Public Accounts Committee, which has members of the opposition.”

News on 1MDB, which was once headed by Najib, resurfaced last week after Indonesian authorities seized businessman Low Taek Jho’s RM1 billion luxury yacht in Bali.

It was reported that Indonesia had seized the yacht at the request of US investigators probing into the misappropriation and laundering of funds from 1MDB.

Indonesian national police spokesman Muhammad Iqbal Abduh said police were acting on the request of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, which had asked for help to enforce a court order in a letter dated February 21.

On March 1, WSJ reported that it had reviewed a cache of emails from a top Republican fundraiser, asking for as much as US$75 million (RM295 million) from Low to get the US to stop investigating 1MDB.

The American business daily said the matter involved US President Donald Trump’s ally, Elliot Broidy, a venture capitalist and long-time Republican donor, and his wife, Robin Rosenzweig, a lawyer.

“The messages include draft agreements between Rosenzweig’s law firm and representatives of Low on the possible terms of their business engagement. In one draft, there is a proposal that includes a US$75 million fee if the Department of Justice quickly drops its investigation,” said WSJ.

American TV news channel MSNBC also reported on the Equanimity’s seizure.

Anchor Rachel Maddow recapped the 1MDB investigations, how US$680 million was found in Najib’s account and how no action was taken because it was a “present from the Saudi royal family”.

The Economist ran a report, titled “Malaysia’s PM is about to steal an election”, on March 8, saying the ruling government is expected to win GE14 despite having US$4.5 billion missing from the state investment fund. – March 11, 2018.

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Comments

  • Quickly sue the hell of them la wait for what

    Posted 6 years ago by Leslie Chan · Reply

  • Mr Jailani - The news are from extremely established & reputable source - example - The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), The New York Times, The Economist, Australian Broadcasting Corporation and MSNBC. We hope & pray you have more concrete evidence up your sleeve to counter these allegations instead of thumping your chest and demanding Malaysian to trust you.

    Posted 6 years ago by Chris Ng · Reply

  • Malaysia has deep enough pockets so sue them all if they are indeed libelous and defamatory. Yelling "fake news" and threatening all and sundry doesn't convince anyone and in fact just serves to make this country appear even more unhinged from reality in the eyes of those observing.

    Posted 6 years ago by Tom jones · Reply

  • Age of Trump has arrived in Malaysia.

    Posted 6 years ago by Bigjoe Lam · Reply

  • Do you mean that the whole world were wrong n you are right? Where are the proofs that you were right? You only got the AG to clear MO1 when the police said that they have not finished with the investigation. So, how can you clear a person when investigation is not over? Whereas at Swiss, at US, at Singapore, etc.. they have shown the proofs of money laundering n jailed those responsible. So, what you said has no credibility. That was why when you want to introduce the fake news law, it was primarily to shut-off news in Malaysia about 1MDB. This was your primary reason. It was not sincere to take action against those who spread fake news. If it was, you would had long ago took action against your own portals, like, Utusan, Malaysia Today, TV3, etc., which has slandered Opposition leaders, n continue to spew out fake news with impunity, n with the backing of Umno. If you say that the medias in the world are spreading false news about PM, then, take action against them, instead of clamming down the news on 1MDB in Malaysia.

    Posted 6 years ago by Peace Maker · Reply

  • Jailani, why the heck would NYT, WSJ, MSNBC, Economist - waste their time publishing "fake news" about what is essentially an irrelevant Malaysia to them? I mean, they got their hands full enough with the Russian-WhiteHouse purported link, which ought to keep them plenty occupied. They certainly do not need "fake news" (if you say so) on inconsequential Malaysia to bog them down. Most Americans couldn't care, or aren't even informed about 1MDB; so why would the American MSM pursue it? You'd think if they wanted to interfere in any country's affairs, maybe the Mid East, Russia, China, N Korea - would be more up their alley? Well, since MO1 is Trump's fav PM, how hard would it be for the former to finally launch a suit to clear his name from these "fake news" allegations? Instead, all you could offer is that, we are " monitoring the situation"? Monitor only??? What does that achieve? Monitor the local news providers? That's all you guys could do, right?

    Posted 6 years ago by Rock Hensem · Reply

  • Consider my hypothetical scenario, will you? RM2.6 billion turns up in PM's bank account, much to his consternation & surprise, source unknown. (My own bank acct is known to others, & it is depleting day by day but nobody known or unknown wants to put any money there!) PM decides to keep quiet about the deposit thinking the a claimant will turn up. The days roll on by. PM feels he can put this windfall to good use, if there is no claimant, like on infrastructure spending and improvement. Then it becomes public news. Rumours abound. Saudi royalty enters the equation, & PM (who consistently denied any wrong doing on his part) is thereby exonerated! Besides finders are keepers, the law says? TQ

    Posted 6 years ago by MELVILLE JAYATHISSA · Reply

  • Ok, if it's fake news outside Bolehland, then sue everyone of them and drag them to court if you still feel that's fake news . Now, if that's fake news, then he must be man enough to tell the Rakyat what's the truth ...if he dare!!!

    Posted 6 years ago by Crishan Veera · Reply

  • Hey Jailani - your story is getting too old. Even 3 years old children also does not believe you. Upgrade your bullshit standard. Otherwise how to cheat people.

    Posted 6 years ago by Francis Wong · Reply

  • I think UMNO will run out of days in a week to sue: * Wall Street Journal by next Tuesday, New York Times by Wed, The Economist by Thu, ABC by Fri, MSNBC by Mon, Tempo by ?

    Posted 6 years ago by Kuasa Rakyat · Reply

  • jailani, ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Thank you for your courage in showing your STUPIDITY. DID YOUR CHILDREN EVER LAUGHED AT YOU FOR YOUR STUPIDITY

    Posted 6 years ago by Nathanji Devan · Reply

  • Fake news?! I know these people are always delusional and think the rakyat is stupid! And they dare to pass a law on fake news! I guess everything on the wrongdoings of the ruling government are fake news and every praises are genuine news! Don't know whether to laugh or cry!

    Posted 6 years ago by Leong Kuy Leng · Reply

  • Jailani ....you mau percaya tak prcaya trpulang lah pada u sndiri ...
    KITA mau percaya tak prcaya trpulang lah pada kita ...
    YOU mau bodoh you punya hal...kita mau bodoh kitapunya hal

    Posted 6 years ago by Ramamurthi ram · Reply

  • Just prove all of them wrong and produce all the missing money. That say malaysian leaders stole 4m5 billion dollars. Just produce 5he the money and the entire story will be put to rest

    Posted 6 years ago by Colin Nathan · Reply

  • Make RTM1,2 and TV3 available on Cable TV in the US and spread the good news there !

    Posted 6 years ago by Sahidan sahidan · Reply

  • When are they going to sanctions these..kleptokrats?

    Posted 6 years ago by Ajita Ang Keai · Reply

  • To those of you out there who still think fake news legislation may be, could be ok, I ask you to wake up immediately. It's going to be a piece of legislation that will allow those ministers to certify what is fake news, and then prosecute those who carry the news in Malaysia as well as ban internet connection to those sites. MO1 does not care anymore if this breaches the bill of guarantee of internet freedom that Tun M put in place last time with Bill Gates and the panel of MSC advisors.

    The immediate consequence will be death of democracy because Malaysians have relied on internet news to get fair coverage. Without access to fair coverage, we will only be fed government propaganda from now on. Over a longer period, multimedia and IT industries will start leaving Malaysia.

    My note to rural/Felda folks - you may be happy living in your own cocoon, sheltered, splashed with occasional money and freebies from the federal government. But you need to ask yourself whether that too will go away one day when a totalitarian government can just keep manipulating elections, give IC to immigrants etc. to help them win elections. When there is no more money to give because they have gone bankrupt with so many mega scandals, when there's nothing left to give you, and you feel angry, it no longer matters because they can use someone or some other system to help them win elections. There is no end to what they can manipulate or change the law. So you better decide if you want to keep that little benefit you have while the country burns, or it's time to do something for your country, grow a backbone and some courage, and vote them out.

    Posted 6 years ago by Quigon Bond · Reply

  • Dear Jailani Johari , the most effective way to counter Fake News is to produce evidence. Sweeping statement like PAC investigation found no money loss is useless since PAC did not know the true financial state of 1MDB because there is no audited report of 1MDB since 2014!!!!!!!!!!

    Posted 6 years ago by Yong Yeok Fong · Reply

  • If it is true those report about 1MBD IS FAKE, THEN SUE THOSE FOREIGN MEDIA...to prove your case..

    Posted 6 years ago by Ss Lee · Reply

  • This was a good summary of the 'story' have to look outside as story is surpassed by state run news channels!

    Read

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/28/1mdb-inside-story-worlds-biggest-financial-scandal-malaysia

    or wait for the book in September

    https://www.themalaysianinsight.com/s/42029/

    Film after that??

    Posted 6 years ago by Bob Archie · Reply