Major English and Bahasa Malaysia dailies did not report about the seizure of businessperson Low Taek Jho's superyacht, the Equanimity, despite the news making the headlines in many international news organisations.
The major development in the US Department of Justice's investigation into the 1MDB matter was noticeably absent in the printed version of The Star, New Straits Times, Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian.
Yesterday, Indonesian police in a joint operation with the US Federal Bureau of Investigations seized the yacht off Teluk Benoa, Bali.
The DOJ is seeking to forfeit the vessel, believed to have been acquired using funds misappropriated from Malaysian state fund 1MDB, and laundered through the US financial system.
The Star's front page was about the MACC seizing the assets of a "datuk seri," who allegedly received RM19 million to help put a stop to investigations into the Penang tunnel project.
MACC’s seizure also made the front page of the New Straits Times, which also highlighted the Immigration Department's plan to weed out foreign domestic workers with criminal records, besides Prime Minister Najib Abul Razak's TN50 function.
No news about the Equanimity seizure was found in the inside pages of both newspapers.
However, both The Star and New Straits Times did carry reports about the yacht seizure, and Low's response in the online version of the publications.
Likewise, news about the seizure of the Equanimity's was also absent from Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian.
Utusan Malaysia featured on its front page Najib's TN50's event, while Berita Harian focused on dubious health and cosmetic products.
However, the online version of Utusan Malaysia did publish an article claiming that the yacht seizure "had nothing to do" with 1MDB.
The online version of Berita Harian, meanwhile, quoted Low's spokesperson as saying that the seizure was baseless and politically motivated.
Sinar Harian was the only major Malay-language newspaper that reported on the seizure. It published its report on page 10, with a teaser on the front page.
All major Chinese dailies carried news about the yacht seizure, with Sin Chew Daily and Oriental Daily featuring the story prominently on the front pages.
China Press and Nanyang Siang Pau also carried the story in the inner pages.
The DOJ believes that at least US$4.5 billion has been misappropriated from 1MDB by Malaysian government officials, among others, and is looking to recover around US$1.7 billion in assets allegedly acquired using these stolen funds.- Mkini
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