The Edge Publications Suspension Not Aimed At Toning Down 1MDB Probe

KUALA LUMPUR, July 27 (Bernama) -- The three-month suspension of The Edge publications, beginning July 27, is not meant to tone down the Malaysian government's investigations into 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), says Abdul Rahman Dahlan. In fact, the Barisan Nasional (BN or National Front) strategic communications director said the investigations into 1MDB and all related issues had not stopped just because the government suspended The Edge Weekly and The Edge Financial Daily. He said the investigations by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Auditor General, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), Royal Malaysian Police (RPM) and Bank Negara (Malaysia's Central Bank) were gathering steam and getting busier by the day. He said the government suspended The Edge publications because there was a real possibility the contents of their reporting were not authentic. "If this possibility turns out to be true, then the impact on the government and the economic stability due to irresponsible reporting cannot be understated," said Rahman in a lengthy statement in his official Facebook on Sunday. On Friday, Home Ministry secretary-general Alwi Ibrahim cited three reasons for the suspension, including the headings and reporting by the two publications, which had raised questions and created negative public perceptions towards 1MDB and also implicated the government and national leaders. Abdul Rahman, who is also urban wellbeing, housing and local government minister said pending the outcome of ongoing investigations, the best option for the government was to temporarily suspend the Edge publications. "Allowing them to continue publishing something so serious without absolute certainty on the authenticity of the data used would be wrong," he said. He said the suspension was apt as the government had the obligation to protect the nation and the people from political mayhem and economic instability. He added that ample time should be given for the probe to unearth the truth. "Why can't we trust the official investigation to do their work, but believe everything The Edge had said, even though The Edge was proven to be involved in a scandal which former PetroSaudi International employee Xavier Andre Justo claimed was to topple the Government of Malaysia? "Imagine if that was true! The consequences are unimaginable!" noted Abdul Rahman. He said 1MDB did try to explain the allegations but nobody listened and it was accused of not revealing all the facts or worse, cooking up their facts. In the end, 1MDB's explanation was condemned as lies and deliberately concocted, he added. Thus, he said, the government decided to form the PAC, whose members included some of the most critical parliament members from both divides of the parliament, for 1MDB to answer the allegations. The 1MDB's PAC hearing will be next month. Abdul Rahman said: "Just for the record, no prime minister before this dared to do that when faced with serious allegations!" --BERNAMA