Drop charges against ex-chief editor, Dr M urges AG

 

Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the AGC should allow The Edge and alleged defamed parties to settle their dispute through civil action.

PETALING JAYA: Dr Mahathir Mohamad has urged the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) to drop the criminal defamation charges made against a former chief editor of The Edge over articles published in the business weekly.

The former prime minister said the AGC should allow the portal and alleged defamed parties to settle their dispute through civil action, adding that this was how such cases were settled in the past.

Mahathir said he was “very disturbed” by the charges pressed against Azam Aris.

“The readiness of the public prosecutor’s office to initiate criminal charges against the editor when the publication had alleged that a crime had been committed is quite baffling.

“By any logic, the investigation should be directed at the people alleged to have committed the crime,” the Pejuang chairman said in a blog post.

Mahathir said this case would only cause intimidation and that it scuppered the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government’s efforts to promote press freedom during its 22-month tenure, during which he helmed the administration.

The Langkawi MP added that this would erode Malaysia’s press freedom ratings which had already declined over the past two years.

Azam claimed trial to two charges of criminal defamation on Sept 13. The charges were framed under Section 500 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum two-year jail sentence or a fine or both.

Azam was charged with allegedly defaming Kua Khai Shyuan and DGB Asia Bhd in an article published in The Edge on Sept 21, 2020.

In the second charge, Azam and contributing editor Shanmugam Murugasu, who was not in court, were alleged to have defamed Kua, DGB Asia, Trive Property Group Bhd, Metronic Global Bhd, and MNC Wireless Bhd in another article published on April 12 last year.

Several quarters have criticised the charges, with DAP’s Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng demanding that attorney-general Idrus Harun explain the decision as the alleged defamed parties could seek redress in the civil courts.

The Edge CEO Ho Kay Tat also slammed the police and AGC over the charges, saying the portal was only informing investors about alleged stock market manipulation. - FMT