Congratulations to Malaysiakini–The No.1 News Portal in Malaysia

June 28, 2018

Malaysiakini is No.1 News Portal in Malaysia: A Profile in Courage

http://www.malaysiakini.com

 

Congratulations to Premesh Chandran, Steve Gan and the Magnificent Journalists of Malaysiakini. It took dedication, true grit, hard work and countless hours to build a news organisation. Thank you for  giving me the opportunity to work with you as a SEACEN Fellow. –Din Merican @ The University of Cambodia Techo School  of Government and International Relations, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Note: Malaysiakini was born in 1999, in the crucible of the Reformasi movement that sprung up in the wake of the arrest and imprisonment of then-deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Steven Gan and Premesh Chandran started the online news portal to give Malaysians an unvarnished view of what was happening in the country — the kind people were unable to get from the government-controlled mass media newspapers and TV stations at the time.

The little outlet is now one of Asia’s most influential news sites. But the journey has been perilous. In its two decades of operations, Malaysiakini has been raided by police numerous times, dragged to court and most recently faced the threat of seeing its founders incarcerated for their work.

Yet, it has also won numerous awards for its journalism and has a special place in the hearts of Malaysians the world over. More than 17 million people used the site to track the Malaysian election results on May 9 and a multitude more followed along on social media. Anwar Ibrahim, on his release from prison on May 16, after obtaining a royal pardon, specifically thanked Malaysiakini for its work and its journalism.

https://www.mumbrella.asia/2018/05/after-spending-20-years-fighting-for-malaysias-democracy-whats-next-for-malaysiakini

 

Steven Gan and Premesh Chandran of Malaysiakini

Malaysiakini is the most popular media portal in Malaysia, according to the 2018 Reuters Digital News Report presented today at the East-West Center International Media Conference in Singapore.

The annual study of news consumption in various markets showed Malaysiakini ranking first in Malaysia with 44 percent of weekly usage by local users, followed by The Star Online (32 percent) and Berita Harian Online (24 percent).

Media Prima’s TV3 topped the TV, Radio and Print category with a 49 percent weekly usage, followed by The Star (at 31 percent) and Astro Awani (at 29 percent).

International provider Yahoo! News was voted the most trusted brand with a 6.12 overall score.

Media analyst Zaharom Nain, from the University of Nottingham Malaysia, said, “Malaysiakini with 44 percent reach has maintained its reputation for providing independent news and continues to retain the trust of many Malaysians, especially those tired of propaganda.”

Zaharom added that news portals such as Malaysiakini and The Malaysian Insight, however, still faced a problem in getting consumers to pay for online news.

He noted that the circulation figures for two Media Prima newspapers – the New Straits Times and Berita Harian – continued to decline due to two reasons they being political alignment and the transition from print to digital consumption.

“They were openly aligned and strongly supportive of the former Prime Minister, Najib Abdul Razak, at a time when he was embroiled in one major financial scandal after another. This made Media Prima-owned properties become increasingly unpopular with Malaysians.”

The 2018 Reuters Digital News Report also showed that 72 percent of those polled used social media as their source of news while the total percentage of users reading online, including social media, hit 89 percent.

Exclusive: Malaysian Police raid apartments linked to ousted PM Najib’s family

May 13, 2018

Exclusive: Malaysian Police raid apartments linked to ousted PM Najib’s family–The Price of losing Power

by Tom Allard

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-malaysia-politics-raid-exclusive/exclusive-malaysian-police-raid-apartments-linked-to-ousted-pm-najibs-family-idUSKCN1ID0LF

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Police on Saturday raided a deluxe Kuala Lumpur apartment block at which relatives of ousted Prime Minister Najib Razak had been staying as they searched for sensitive documents the new government fears may be taken out of the country, two senior Police officers said.

The Notorious Malaysian  Couple–Partners in Alleged Crimes

 

The swoop came as Malaysia’s new Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad, said he had stopped his predecessor from leaving the country because of suspected wrongdoing in connection with a multi-billion-dollar scandal at state fund 1MDB.

Police said they were acting after a complaint that a government vehicle had delivered dozens of boxes made to carry designer handbags and other items to the apartment for Najib’s wife, Rosmah Mansor.

Public disgust over alleged corruption was widely seen as one of the reasons behind the unexpected defeat of Najib’s long-ruling Barisan Nasional coalition in Wednesday’s general election. Najib has consistently denied any wrongdoing.

A spokesman for Najib could not be immediately reached for comment. Reuters was unable to reach Najib himself, his wife, or other family members and close associates on Saturday night.

Reuters saw about 20 Police officers enter the marble-floored lobby of the Pavilion Residences apartment block in the Malaysian capital, just as Mahathir was holding a news conference to announce key members of his cabinet.

They were aided by at least a dozen other plainclothes law-enforcement officers. Security personnel from the building – which is owned by Desmond Lim, a wealthy Malaysian businessman and supporter of Najib – were cooperative.

“We are looking for government documents that may have been illegally taken,” said a senior police officer, who requested anonymity as he was not authorized to talk to the media.

 Freedom from Kleptocratic Rule at last

 

“The government are worried they could be sensitive and important, and could be taken out of the country.”

He declined to say whether any documents had been found and described the operation as “ongoing”.

According to the Police, members of Najib’s family had been staying at the apartments, but they declined to name them.

Orange Boxes

The police action followed a complaint lodged by two leaders of the youth wing of Mahathir’s political party, Bersatu.

The Police report of the complaint, reviewed by Reuters, alleges that vans emblazoned with the logo of the department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet delivered boxes for 50 Birkin handbags to Pavilion Residences on Thursday evening.

The report alleged that the boxes showed the name of the consignee as Rosmah Mansor.

Two photos provided with the report and reviewed by Reuters showed a van with the department’s logo and a shopping trolley filled with orange boxes. The location, the date and the contents of the boxes – including whether there were any of the handbags inside – could not be ascertained from the photos.

The Birkin handbags concerned would cost $200,000 each, the complaint said.

The senior Police officer only confirmed “family members” of Najib had stayed in the apartment complex when Reuters asked if Rosmah had stayed there. Another officer involved in the operation described the persons of interest as “VVIPs”, or very, very important persons.

Both Police officers said investigators were not primarily interested in the luxury items but were chasing documents that could be vital for investigations into Najib’s administration.

Announced Overseas Trip

Kuala Lumpur’s Police Chief and an official Police spokeswoman did not respond to requests for comment.

Najib said earlier on Saturday that he was going abroad for a week to rest, but just minutes later the Department of Immigration announced that he and his wife had been barred from leaving the country.

Mahathir, who was sworn in as Prime Minister on Thursday, has vowed to probe the loss of billions of dollars from state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), which was founded by Najib.

U.S. Department of Justice documents allege that $681 million from 1MDB was transferred to the personal account of a person identified as Malaysian Official One, which U.S. and Malaysian sources have confirmed was Najib.

Najib has said the deposit was a donation by an unnamed member of the Saudi royal family which had been largely returned.

Reporting by Tom Allard; Editing by John Chalmers and Martin Howell.Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Malaysia’s Najib Razak dissolves Parliament

April 6, 2017

Malaysia’s Najib dissolves Parliament paving way for tough election

by Reuters Staff*

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-malaysia-election/malaysias-pm-najib-dissolves-parliament-paving-way-for-tough-election-idUSKCN1HD065

 

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak announced the dissolution of parliament on Friday, more than two months before the end of his five-year term, paving the way for a general election.

A woman passes a live telecast of Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak addressing the nation on the dissolution of Parliament at a electronics shop in Port Klang, Malaysia April 6, 2018. REUTERS/Lai Seng Sin

Najib, 64, burdened by a multi-billion dollar scandal linked to a state fund, is under pressure to deliver an emphatic win for his Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition as he struggles to appease voters unhappy with rising living costs and blunt a challenge by his old mentor and former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad.

Najib is widely expected to retain power, especially with a deep rift between Mahathir’s opposition alliance and the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), which analysts expect will split the opposition vote.

Najib said he met Malaysia’s King, Sultan Muhammad V, to gain approval for the dissolution. “The king has permitted for parliament to be dissolved effective Saturday, April 7,” Najib said in a special announcement on the state TV broadcaster.

“If victory is given to BN, we promise to do our best, to carry out a bigger, more inclusive and more comprehensive transformation of the country,” Najib said.

Polling must be held within 60 days from the dissolution of parliament. The Election Commission is expected to meet within the week to announce a date for the vote.

Former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad smiles during an interview with Reuters in Putrajaya, Malaysia, March 30, 2017. (Reuters) 

 

Najib’s announcement comes on the back of robust growth for Malaysia, buoyed by a recovery in global crude oil prices and increased trade and infrastructure investment from Malaysia’s largest trading partner, China.

A general election was widely expected to be called last year, but Najib held off, apparently to allow time for the introduction of budgetary reforms aimed at lower income families and rural voters, who make up a key voting bloc for his ruling BN coalition.

The government has also approved the election commission’s plan to redraw electoral boundaries and passed a contentious anti-fake news bill, changes that the opposition claims would favor Najib and his ruling allies.

Najib’s United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) party heads the ruling coalition that has held power since Malaysia’s independence in 1957. The coalition lost the popular vote in the last election, in 2013, but Najib held on to power with a smaller majority in parliament.

But a weaker result, even if the coalition retains power, could lead to an internal leadership challenge against Najib.

 Bitter Battle

Najib resisted demands to step down in mid-2015 following reports of financial mismanagement at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), including that $681 million was deposited into his personal bank account.

 

Najib has denied any wrongdoing. Transactions related to 1MDB are under investigation in six countries including the United States, Singapore and Switzerland.

Najib has clamped down on dissent, sacking critics from his cabinet and party who questioned his involvement in 1MDB. The scandal has created a rift between Najib and 92-year-old Mahathir, who ruled for 22 years before retiring in 2003, and has become Najib’s harshest critic.

With the common goal of taking down Najib, Mahathir has joined hands with his former deputy and jailed opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim, ending a bitter feud that had shaped the country’s political narrative over two decades.

*Reporting by Joseph Sipalan, Rozanna Latiff, A.Ananthalakshmi; Additional reporting by Emily Chow and Liz Lee; editing by Praveen Menon and Michael Perry