Now, MalaysiaNow questioned by police over Bloomberg report

Police today questioned news portal MalaysiaNow over its rewrite of a damning Bloomberg report last month alleging the prime minister interfered in the affairs of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

An investigation officer from Putrajaya police spent about an hour recording stataments from MalaysiaNow editor at the Petaling Jaya police headquarters over the article, "Anwar instructed MACC chief to spare Farhash over controversial share purchase, says report" published on Sept 26.

The article is a rewrite of a Bloomberg report from the same day, "Anwar’s feud with 99-year-old rival looms over Malaysia’s revival", which quoted sources as saying that MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki had been instructed by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to go after political enemies, namely former finance minister Daim Zainuddin, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his children.

The report also said Anwar told Azam to spare his former aide Farhash Wafa Salvador from a graft investigation related to his controversial purchase of shares in a company linked to the development of a new billion-ringgit immigration system.

Both MACC and the Prime Minister's Office have denied the claims.

Police today questioned, among other things, why MalaysiaNow rewrote the Bloomberg report and whether the portal believes the allegations contained therein to be true.

Police said the investigation was being conducted under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act and Section 500 of the Penal Code, laws that were often used by previous Barisan Nasional governments against critics and opposition leaders.

The investigation was launched based on a report lodged by MACC against former Umno man Isham Jalil.

Isham was questioned by Putrajaya police for about two hours last week over his Facebook post calling on Anwar to sue Bloomberg to clear his name.

"If PMX is too busy to sue Bloomberg, the attorney-general could also file the suit against Bloomberg on behalf of the Malaysian government.

"Bloomberg's report is against Anwar in his capacity as the prime minister, the head of the Malaysian government," he had written on Facebook.

There are growing calls for Anwar to clear his name in court, with critics reminding him of the string of defamation lawsuits Anwar has filed against media organisations over the past two decades.

Questioned on the matter in the Dewan Rakyat this week, Anwar said he would let police investigate the Bloomberg journalists.

"I leave it to the police to investigate and the attorney-general to take appropriate action," he said.

Earlier, Daim had filed a police report calling for Anwar to be investigated for abuse of power, the same accusation that once saw the PKR leader being jailed in 1999 when he was convicted of trying to use his position as deputy prime minister to cover up an investigation into sexual misconduct.

Lawyers for Daim later questioned police for opening an investigation under Section 233 of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Act and Section 505(b) of the Penal Code, which deal with statements deemed harmful to public order.

"Clearly, there is no investigation commenced against Anwar Ibrahim for suspected abuse of power as disclosed in the Bloomberg article.

"Instead, the investigation is against Bloomberg news and the journalists who have broken a story about abuse of power in the highest halls of power in Malaysia," they said.