While is it good that the Home Ministry made an attempt to explain the ban on The Edge Weekly and The Edge Financial Daily, rather than remaining silent, the 3 reasons given are simply ridiculous and not logical.
The Home Ministry claimed that the headings and reporting has created negative public perceptions towards 1MDB and the government. Banning or suspending the press for negative perceptions is simply not acceptable. The government has ample media outlets to explain itself, it if has been wrongly portrayed.
Instead of suspending the 2 newspapers, the government should have taken the route of countering the allegedly misinformation on 1MDB or 1MDB could even have sued the papers for defamation. But neither happened.
The Home Ministry also took upon itself to decide that the reports were based on doubtful and unverified information. However, by the same breath, no action has been taken to all media outlets, be it TV, radio, newspapers that have happily carried Lester Melanyi wild claims on a “plot to discredit the government” that is not backed by any evidence.
There is an extreme double standard in this. While claims and questions on 1MDB’s deal with PetroSaudi and Jho Low has been backed up, we don’t see the same evidence backing for Lester’s claims.
Issues over 1mdb has struck concerns and the calls by current Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir is even further proof that the questions by these 2 publications are justified. The government must release evidence to prove it wrong, rather than hand the papers a heavy handed suspension.
In support of GERAMM, DAPSY expresses its solidarity with The Edge in safeguarding media and press freedom.
We applause the bravery and courage of The Edge in fulfilling its duty to the people and should be praised for brave investigative journalism.