malaysia

Najib’s critics pay price for pursuing the truth

March 14, 2016

The Malaysian Insider stops operations at midnight today. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, March 14, 2016.The Malaysian Insider will cease publication at midnight today after it was blocked by Putrajaya over reports on a scandal linked to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

The leading news portal has been a key player in the growth of plucky online news sites that have rapidly gained a following over the past decade by reporting on official malfeasance and corruption, filling a void left by pro-government traditional media.

Last month, the Malaysian Communications And Multimedia Commission (MCMC) began blocking access to TMI after it published a story on corruption allegations swirling around Najib.

The website's owner, The Edge Media Group, said in a statement that it had been in negotiations to sell the loss-making portal but that talks broke down in the wake of the government block.

"We believe the recent problems TMI had with (Putrajaya) had made it more difficult for a sale to be concluded," it said, adding that it had no choice but to close the site.

The news will fuel further fears for democratic space and media freedoms under Najib.

Najib has been under pressure for a year over allegations that billions of dollars were pilfered from a state fund he oversees, and for his own admitted acceptance of a mysterious US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) sum.

As calls for his ouster mounted, Najib has purged critics from his government and taken other steps that have stalled investigations.

Najib's government also banned publication of The Edge's print newspaper last year. A court lifted the suspension two months later.

TMI's blocking last month was criticised by media and rights groups, with Human Rights Watch calling it a "blatant and outrageous breach" of media freedoms and accusing Najib of "tightening the noose of censorship and control."

Political analysts say Najib has so far largely neutralised pressure to step down by using the long-ruling Umno grip on Malaysia's police and other key institutions.

But authorities in several countries are investigating money flows related to the scandal, with Switzerland and Singapore announcing previously that they had frozen a range of bank accounts. US authorities are reported to be investigating.

Two Australian television journalists were detained overnight on Saturday after approaching Najib to question him over the graft allegations.

They have been released but remain barred from leaving as they await possible charges, their lawyer said. – AFP, March 14, 2016.