'Twice too many' – Calls grow for Anwar to sue Bloomberg over claim he spared Farhash from graft probe

Calls have gathered momentum for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to take legal action against Bloomberg to clear his name following the financial news outlet's second damning report against him this year, this time involving an allegation of power abuse similar to the charges for which he was jailed two decades ago.

On Thursday, Bloomberg cited three informed sources as saying that Anwar had instructed Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief, Azam Baki, not to investigate his former political secretary Farhash Wafa Salvador over the controversial purchase of shares in a company linked to the development of a new billion-ringgit immigration system.

The report also claimed that Azam had told MACC officials that the investigations into former leader Dr Mahathir Mohamad, his three sons and former finance minister Daim Zainuddin were launched on Anwar's instructions.

Since coming to power, Anwar has twice renewed Azam's tenure to helm MACC despite attacking the anti-graft chief over allegations of owning millions of listed shares.

The latest claims have been denied by MACC and the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), in what lawyer Rafique Rashid said was a similar reaction to Bloomberg's shocking revelation just five months ago that Anwar had met with prominent tycoons to discuss a plan to open a casino in Johor's Forest City.

Authorities had subsequently interrogated several Bloomberg journalists, although Anwar ignored calls to clear his name.

Speaking to MalaysiaNow, Rafique said Anwar should sue Bloomberg for defamation, adding that a statement from PMO was not enough to convince the public.

"It is convenient to issue an official statement every time Bloomberg behaves like this," he said, adding that the allegation this time was more serious.

"It has entered the realm of abuse of power at the highest level because it involves enforcement agencies and the PMO itself," Rafique said.

A similar allegation had led to his imprisonment in 1999, when he was convicted on four counts of abusing his position as deputy prime minister to thwart a police investigation into allegations of sodomy and adultery against him.

In March, it was reported that Farhash - who became chairman of 7-Eleven Malaysia Holdings, owned by billionaire tycoon Vincent Tan, just five weeks after Anwar's appointment as prime minister - had secured a substantial stake in a company shortlisted to develop a new billion-ringgit immigration system.

The 41-year-old PKR leader took a 15.91% stake in HeiTech Padu Bhd through his company Rosetta Partners Sdn Bhd.

Farhash had said Rosetta Partners was a subsidiary of Mfivesouthsea Sdn Bhd, which he jointly owns with Kelantan's Sultan Muhammad V.

The purchase in HeiTech Padu came just a day after MyEG Services Bhd acquired a 14.4% equity interest in the company for RM31.25 million cash on March 11.

That same day, HeiTech Padu announced it had received a one-year extension of its contract to maintain the Malaysian Immigration System (MyIMMs) worth over RM13 million.

HeiTech Padu was one of three companies shortlisted by the government to develop the RM1 billion National Integrated Immigration System (NIISe) project, a replacement for MyIMMs.

Rafique recalled that at the height of the controversy, Anwar had promised to issue a statement after checking with the Treasury.

He said the Cabinet owed it to the public to question Anwar on the matter.

"It has been seven or eight months and there is still no answer.

"Maybe you are busy, but this is the right time to make a statement because otherwise the public will be led to believe (the allegations)," he added.

In April, Anwar denied  a Bloomberg report that he had met with tycoons Vincent Tan of Berjaya and Lim Kok Thay of Genting Berhad to discuss a plan to open a casino in Forest City.

"Anwar, senior government officials and the businessmen had lunch and meetings on the possibility of granting what would only be Malaysia’s second-ever casino licence," said the report.

Anwar denied the report, calling it a "lie", but stopped short of saying whether he would seek a retraction from the US-based media group.

Instead, he called on the parties named in the article to "take the necessary action".

This was followed by denials from Berjaya and Genting, two companies involved in Malaysia's gambling industry.