Fahmi: Putrajaya not behind probe against Bloomberg over Forest City Casino claim

PUTRAJAYA, May 8 — Communication Minister Fahmi Fadzil today said the government was not responsible for the police investigation against Bloomberg reporters over their article alleging discussions for a casino in Johor’s Forest City.

Instead, he said the investigation was opened after Berjaya Corporation Bhd lodged a report over the article that alleged its founder to be involved in the purported talks.

“Regarding this issue, it is from Berjaya through their legal team. So, it is not from the government, not from this ministry, not from MCMC, but from the private sector or related companies," he said referring to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission.

“The government did not issue any instructions but there was a report, so the police made an investigation according to the process,” he told reporters at a press conference at his ministry, here.

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Yesterday, the police recorded the statement of a journalist from an English-language portal to assist investigations regarding the publication of an article alleging talks of a casino licence to revive the Forest City property project in Johor.

The investigation is being conducted under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act, Section 500 of the Penal Code (for criminal defamation) and Section 233 of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

Last Friday, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain confirmed that an investigation was started after lawyers of businessman Tan Sri Vincent Tan lodged a report regarding the publication of an article on an international news portal related to the establishment of a casino in Forest City, which allegedly contained false, untrue, unsubstantiated and unverified statements.

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The portal, citing sources, linked Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Berjaya Corp and Genting Malaysia Bhd to the alleged casino, but all parties involved have denied this.