Malaysia Blocks Website Critical of PM, State Fund

A video confession by Lester was uploaded to YouTube on Wednesday, in which he alleged that several opposition leaders together with Sarawak Report had hatched a plot to forge 1MDB documents and topple Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

The self-styled whistleblower website has in recent months been on an offensive against 1MDB, publishing a series of exposés on alleged mismanagement and irregularities at the state-owned firm and by related personalities.

The statement also questioned the Malaysian government why no legal action had been taken against it if its reports on 1MDB and the US$700 million fund transfer were fabricated and unreal.

In a statement Sunday, MCMC said the reason it chose to block the website was because it published unverified content which is under investigation, after receiving information and complaints from the public.

Such “information”, it said, could threaten the peace and economic stability of the country.

“Access to the website is blocked temporarily, until the special task force completes its investigation”, it said. No time frame has been given for the investigation.

Responding to the decision, Rewcastle Brown – who was denied entry into Malaysia in 2013 – said it was “a blatant attempt to censor” Sarawak Report’s exposure on corruption in Malaysia, ruled by the long-dominant National Front coalition since gaining independence from Britain in 1957.

She said the move showed Malaysian authorities were fearful of being exposed, and vowed not to be silenced.

In response to the block, the Sarawak Report has written on its Facebook page that “it will not be impeded in any way by this action”.

“We have proceeded with limiting the access to the site”, said MCMC Strategic Communications senior director Sheikh Raffie Abdul Rahman to media.