Star, MalaysiaKini raided following ‘report,’ minister says
(Malay Mail Online) – Authorities raided the offices of The Star and Malaysiakini after a “report” was made against the news outlets, the communications and multimedia minister said today.
Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak added that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) was compelled to act after police sought its cooperation, adding that the raid was for investigative purposes.
“The report was made where the police took action to investigate it and asked for MCMC’s cooperation.
“To me, when there is any report made, action should be taken. What was done by the police and MCMC was to investigate that,” he said after the launch of several homegrown travel shows at the GOASEAN Upfronts 2016 at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club today.
Salleh did not specify which agency received the initial report or identify the party who submitted the complaint.
The police and MCMC raided The Star and MalaysiaKini’s offices on Monday and last Friday respectively after both news organisations reported of the alleged transfer of Deputy Public Prosecutor Ahmad Shazalee Abdul Khairi from the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) special operations division.
In its report, Malaysiakini wrote that a MACC prosecutor involved in the remand of several witnesses for the probe on SRC International Sdn Bhd, a former subsidiary of 1Malaysia Development Berhad, had been transferred.
Although not expressly stated, the article appeared to suggest that the alleged transfer could be for DPP Ahmad Shazalee, the same officer who was on August 1 picked up by the police for questioning.
The report also said that DPP Ahmad Shazalee’s secondment to the MACC was supposed to run until 2017, but that the Attorney-General’s Chambers sent him a letter on October 14, asking him to report to it the following day.
On Twitter later, the AGC said Ahmad Shazalee had not been transferred out of the MACC.
Last Wednesday, de facto law minister Nancy Shukri was quoted by Malaysiakini as telling Parliament that Ahmad Shazalee was only transferred internally and not out of the MACC.
