Minister blasts WSJ for linking Guan Eng's arrest to 1MDB scandal

Communications and Multimedia Minister Salleh Said Keruak has taken aim at The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) for supposedly giving the impression that Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng was arrested for his criticism of the 1MDB scandal.

Salleh took offence at WSJ's headline, titled: "Critic of Malaysia's Najib arrested on corruption charges."

"WSJ was actually reporting about Lim's arrest for corruption but the way they presented the headline, the impression they gave is that Lim was arrested for criticising rather than for corruption," he said in a blog posting this evening.

Salleh claimed WSJ then linked the arrest with 1MDB in the first paragraph of the report, saying: "A Malaysian opposition politician who has criticised Prime Minister Najib Razak’s handling of state investment fund 1MDB was charged with corruption in his role as chief minister of Penang state."

The report went on to state: "In May the Penang government froze 1MDB's purchase of 234 acres in the state until, Mr Lim said at the time, the fund manages its affairs with accountability and transparency."

Salleh said: "So, again, they insinuate or plant in the mind of the reader that Lim’s arrest is due to his criticism of the prime minister’s handling of 1MDB.

"The way WSJ presented their news report is as if the entire issue is about 1MDB and Najib and not because of the alleged corruption.

"And this is the news agency that the opposition says is to be believed, is very professional, has no hidden agenda, is not targeting Najib, and so on."

Salleh said this made it apparent that WSJ had an axe to grind with Najib.

"Even someone of limited intelligence can see that the WSJ... is engaged in a crusade against the prime minister and most likely against Malaysia as well.

"But then, there are many who still believe that the WSJ is just trying to reveal the truth and there is no mala fide involved," he said.

The WSJ in July last year broke the story about the RM2.6 billion in Najib's personal bank accounts.

Najib later claimed the money was a Arab donation and denied ever taking public funds for personal gain.

Attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali has cleared Najib of wrongdoing. -Mkini