WSJ should be probed over 'lies' and 'biased' reporting on Najib - Tengku Sariffuddin

Published in full below is a statement issued by Datuk Seri Tengku Sariffuddin, Press Secretary to the Prime Minister:

MUST READ: WSJ a disgrace to journalism, Malaysians can't believe anything they say

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PRIME MINISTER’S PRESS SECRETARY STATEMENT ON LATEST WALL STREET JOURNAL LIE

1. An investigation should be launched into why the Wall Street Journal is taking sides in Malaysia’s politics and internal affairs.

2. In their latest false report today, the WSJ allege that the Prime Minister was not interviewed by Malaysian investigators, claiming this shows that the investigations which cleared the Prime Minister of any wrongdoing were “undermined by political pressure and a lack of transparency.”

3. But it is a matter of public record, and was widely reported by other media at the time, that the Prime Minister was interviewed for multiple hours on 5th December 2015 by the primary investigative body in this case, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission. The Prime Minister gave his full cooperation to the investigators, and publicly instructed all relevant bodies in the Government to do so as well.

4. The WSJ not only deliberately ignored these key facts, but lied and said the Prime Minister wasn’t interviewed. This shows their biased agenda, and continues the WSJ’s consistent pattern with its Malaysia reporting. They rely only on anonymous sources and smears by Tun Mahathir and his new allies in the DAP, including Tony Pua in this latest article.

5. These unverified lies, which they fail to give any evidence for, are then presented as facts by the WSJ. Just like their multiple reports falsely claiming that the Prime Minister had appointed Tan Sri Irwan Serigar Abdullah to be the new Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia.

6. Journalism should be about independently reporting news based on verified sources and facts. Instead, the WSJ has become a willing vehicle for the propaganda of the Prime Minister’s political opponents, who have openly declared their intent to unseat the democratically elected government.

DATUK SERI TENGKU SARIFFUDDIN

PRESS SECRETARY TO THE PRIME MINISTER