THE parties mentioned in a Bloomberg report yesterday that the government is mulling a second casino in Forest City will take action against the inaccurate report, said Anwar Ibrahim.

The prime minister said this when asked if the government would request a retraction from Bloomberg or proceed with legal action against the New York-based news agency.

“Those who are mentioned must take the necessary action. They will (take action),” he briefly told reporters after attending an event in Sepang today, reports The Star.

Yesterday he had described the report as being a lie.

He said news of the casino licence was a “lie” and “not right”.

Earlier today Berjaya Corporation Bhd today denied reports that its founder Vincent Tan was involved in discussions with Anwar to open a casino in Forest City, Johor.

The company said reports by The Edge Singapore and Bloomberg yesterday had included “inaccurate information that misrepresented its supposed involvement in discussions with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim regarding the project.

“We would like to make it clear that Vincent Tan has not participated in any such discussions and refutes the inaccurate claims presented in the articles,” it said in a statement.

The company urged the two publications to publish a clarification and take down misleading content from the articles in question.

A Bloomberg report yesterday said that Malaysia was in early discussions with tycoons to open a casino in Forest City in an effort to revive the RM478 billion project.

Quoting sources, it said Anwar had met with Tan and Genting Group’s Lim Kok Thay last week at the site in Johor.

Meanwhile, vocal Pasir Gudang member of Parliament from PKR, Hassan Abdul Karim said that while it was good that Anwar had denied the report, the government must write an official protest letter to Bloomberg to urge them not repeat their lies.

“What’s the purpose of the fake Bloomberg report? Does Bloomberg have a malicious  intention to tarnish Anwar Ibrahim’s image as prime minister of Malaysia?” he asked on Facebook.

He added that the Bloomberg report had also indirectly slandered Agong. – April 26, 2024.