KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 22 — Deputy Minister of Communications Teo Nie Ching today sharply criticised the media over their handling of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s bid for house arrest, describing the coverage as a “terrible failure” that caused widespread confusion.

Teo, who is also DAP Vice Chair, DAP Women Chief, and DAP Johor Chief, wrote on Facebook that journalists must “prioritise being right over being first” and compete on accuracy, not speed.

Her remarks follow a string of premature reports that misrepresented the High Court proceedings. 

Reuters initially flashed at 9.48am that the judge had ordered Najib’s release for house arrest — a headline that Singapore’s Straits Times ran prominently on its front page for more than 20 minutes. 

At that point, the High Court judge was still reading out the ruling, and no verdict or order had been formally delivered, leaving the public misinformed.

Later, Reuters corrected its reports, clarifying that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong could not independently grant Najib house arrest without the Pardons Board’s involvement, and that the ex-King’s addendum order was invalid as it had not been made according to the proper procedure.

In reality, High Court judge Alice Loke Yee Ching rejected Najib’s application to serve the remainder of his six-year sentence under house arrest. 

The judge ruled that the addendum order from the former Yang di-Pertuan Agong was invalid because it bypassed the 61st Pardons Board and did not comply with Article 42 of the Federal Constitution. 

She emphasised that the government had no duty to enforce the order.

Immediately after the decision, Najib’s lead lawyer, Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, informed the court that his client intends to appeal the ruling.