JULY 4 — Yesterday’s report by Wall Street Journal that millions of US dollars were channelled into the personal bank accounts of Prime Minister Najib Razak has definitely stirred up some talk among Malaysians.
While Wall Street Journal is of the view that they take investigations (and reporting) very seriously, it is important that we look closely at the report itself and try to see for ourselves why they are of that view.
If one were to read the report again and again and again, one would notice a few words that keep popping up which indicates the source of the report.
These words are “government probe”, “government investigators” , “government investigation” and “government documents”.
So, the essence and basis of the report by Wall Street Journal, it would seem, stems from a source from the Malaysian government investigations and documents collected thereunder.
Now, how Wall Street Journal managed to get its hand on these documents and information relating to this “government investigation” no one knows. Was it leaked? It must be since it is still in the process of investigation and since it is still a government probe.
The only thing I can see that is unfair in this entire expose so to speak is that PM Najib Razak has to now defend allegations before the completion of a government probe or investigation and a report thereafter.
Even before the investigations are complete and a report could be made, all hell breaks loose. It seems to me that some quarters intended that these information and documents to become public before anything became official. Why the fear? It’s not like the government investigators are going to hide or conceal any information or documents from the Malaysian public.
Wall Street Journal’s Hong Kong Bureau Chief Ken Brown said in an interview with CNBC that the documents they (Wall Street Journal) saw have been shared with the Malaysian Attorney-General and others in government, and it’s been seen by Prime Minister Najib Razak.
So, the question that arises now is if all parties have seen these documents and are all part of an ongoing investigation, why then did it come to a situation where a media organisation had to divulge information and documents which were part of ongoing investigation to Malaysians? Why couldn’t it just wait for the government investigators to divulge them to Malaysian?
Now, Prime Minister Najib Razak is caught between a rock and a hard place. There is no denying the investigation. There is no denying the documents. All that is required is an explanation. Not to Wall Street Journal, but to the Malaysian public. Yes, perhaps it was a bit premature to expose information and documents and the manner in which it was done, since the government investigators would have done it eventually, but it has come out to public knowledge one way or another.
I honestly do not see any point in taking legal action against Wall Street Journal. It’s not like there can be any dispute as to the contents of the report, all of which are sourced from the government investigators. As stated earlier, all that is required is an explanation.
So, it is only fair that as Malaysians, we do not be too quick to judge PM Najib Razak at this stage. He is not in a position to deny anything. All those named in the report are also not in a position to deny anything. Let’s just wait for their explanation.
* In loving memory of the late Varinder Singh a/l Pritam Singh.
** Puthan Perumal is an Advocate & Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya.
*** This is the personal opinion of the writer and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail Online.
