LAWYERS for Tun Daim Zainuddin and Toh Puan Na’imah Abdul Khalid have asked the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to explain why the authorities are investigating Bloomberg’s article, instead of their complaint against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim over the alleged abuse of power.
In a statement, Rajesh Nagarajan and Sachpreetraj Singh said they were informed by the investigating officer that the case is being investigated under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act and Section 505(b) of the Penal Code.
This is over a police report lodged by Daim’s wife Na’imah over the Bloomberg article which cited sources alleging that Anwar had ordered MACC chief Tan Sri Azam Baki to investigate the premier’s rivals, including Daim.
“This sham of an investigation by the police to divert the matter by investigating the journalists, instead of investigating the alleged crime itself, is not only shameful and unacceptable but also illegal," the lawyers said.
They claimed that a similar tactic was used by Datuk Seri Najib Razak when the 1Malaysia Development Bhd scandal was exposed by the Wall Street Journal.
“We would like to remind the IGP that under Article 8 of our Federal Constitution, all are equal before the law and equally subject to the criminal law, including the prime minister.
“We demand that the IGP explain the failure to open an investigation into the allegation of abuse of power involving the PM, as claimed in the Bloomberg article and that it be immediately opened,” they said,
Nai'mah had also called on the authorities to set up a task force to investigate the case after she spent two hours at the Sentul police station providing her statement.
Citing sources, Bloomberg reported that Azam told agency officials that instructions to investigate Daim, as well as former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his sons, had come from the prime minister himself. - October 9, 2024
