Malaysian Insider’s pants on fire

A little over a month ago, former Malaysia Airlines Chairman Tan Sri Tajudin Ramli took online news portal The Malaysian Insider, the Chief Editor Jahabar Sadiq and writer Syazwan Mustafa Kamal to court. It was for spewing continuous lies that Tajudin aggregated a loss of RM 8 billion during his tenure. The amount of RM 200 million was the same record suit against a media company in Malaysia.

MI never substantiated their claims.

Malaysia Airlines is a plc. Its annual returns is readily available for public consumption. Through out Tajudin’s service in the national carrier, Malaysia Airlines only aggregated RM 908.4 million losses. Even that, was mainly attributable to loss of foreign exchange and the effect on currency attack during the Asian Financial Crisis 1997-8. In fact till March 1997, Malaysia Airlines were showing hefty profits.

Since MI vehemently refused to retract their 31 March 2011 piece“MACC clears AG on graft charges”, they had to face to suit when Tajudin’s lawyers presented to the courts in August. The RM 200 million suit was obviously over bearing for MI and Jahabar. Unless MI could come up with substantiate evidence to prove that Tajudin did make Malaysia Airlnes lost RM 8 billion, then it would be very tough battle for them to win this one. It was also said that former media Dark Lord Kalimullah “Riong Kali” Hassan tried to use his clout and ‘muscle his way around’ in his attempt to get Tajudin to let go of the suit.

So they did the right thing when one is most unlikely to win in a suit. It was believed that the lawyers went to talk to Tajudin’s.

It was said they managed to secure an agreement. MI was asked to publicly apologise to Tajudin on their unsubstantiated allegations. It is believed that part of the agreement, MI has to publish the apology in main stream newspapers.

Credibility of MI is undoubtably lost with this apology. In the same stroke, it vindicated all the lies been spewed against Tajudin even in the context of the Opposition trying to score on political points against the Government.

Then again, it is now fashionable for the Opposition to apologise when they lie. Unable to no longer hold his ‘lie’, Chief Minister of Penang did so late this morning to HRH Sultan of Johor.

Published: Friday September 30, 2011 MYT 1:30:00 PM
Updated: Friday September 30, 2011 MYT 1:57:36 PM

Guan Eng apologises to Johor Sultan

GEORGE TOWN: Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Enghas apologised to the Sultan of Johor for his alleged remarks on Johor’s deteriorating crime rate.

He made the apology at a press conference in Komtar at 1.10pm Friday.

Lim, however, did not admit making the statement and said he was still trying to locate the recording of what he said in Singapore.

“The Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, had said he was offended by the statement made by me against Johor.

“Out of respect to the Johor Sultan, I wish to fully apologised to the Johor Sultan and his subjects, the people of Johor. I have no intention whatsoever to discredit Johor or any other state,” he said.

Lim was alleged to have made the remarks at a Correspondents Club of Singapore luncheon last month.

It was reported that an alleged transcript of Lim’s speech, released on the Internet, quoted him as saying: “You don’t have to worry about your safety when you come to Penang. In Johor, if you are a Singaporean, you are likely to get kidnapped.”

Lim had said Thursday he was unsure if the remarks were made in a private capacity but denied saying so in his prepared speech text at the function.

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Lim should also apologise to Bernama and TV3. Like Datuk Rocky said this morning, “Siakap senohong, gelama ikan duri….”. These cases of MI and Lim had to apologise this weekend, aren’t they a good example of ‘reversal of fortune’?

Regardless, YB Salahuddin Ayub should beware. He could be next.

- bigdogdotcom