'With anti-fake news law, only courts can decide on MO1'

PARLIAMENT | Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Azalina Othman Said said the courts will decide the identity of "Malaysian Official 1" (MO1) who was implicated by the US Department of Justice in the misappropriation of US$4.5 billion in 1MDB funds.

"Only the courts can answer who is MO1 after this law is passed," she told the Dewan Rakyat.

Azalina was responding to Ramkarpal Singh (DAP-Bukit Gelugor) during her winding-up speech on the debate of the Anti-Fake News Bill.

Ramkarpal (below) had asked whether Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Abdul Rahman Dahlan's admission in a BBC interview that “MO1” was Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak was "fake news".

"If not, I will campaign (in the general election) that MO1 is Najib," he said.

Azalina, in her explanation, repeatedly stressed that the decision on whether a content was considered "fake news" or not laid with the courts.

She dismissed concerns the government could arbitrarily dictate what was "fake news" or not.

Azalina also declined to elaborate further on the 1MDB issue and multi-billion ringgit deposits into Najib's personal bank accounts citing a ruling by Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia.

Pandikar had forbidden most discussions on the matter in Parliament, citing sub judice due to ongoing court cases.

Najib has claimed the US$681 million deposit into his personal bank account was a donation from a member of the Saudi royal family.

The DOJ has claimed that the exact amount originated from 1MDB and had made its way into the personal bank accounts of a "MO1".

Najib has denied wrongdoing or taking public funds for personal gain. -Mkini