KUALA LUMPUR: A pressure group today urged the relevant agencies to conduct a thorough investigation into the finances of news portal The Malaysian Insight (TMI).
Jaringan Melayu Malaysia (JMM) president Datuk Azwanddin Hamzah claimed that there were irregularities on how TMI received its funding.
He said the Immigration Department should seize the passports of TMI owners and their 25 staff members to facilitate the investigation.
He claimed that he had information that tickets for 20 of TMI’s management and staff to depart for London on Dec 20, had been booked.
"Apparently, this trip is for them to discuss the issues faced by the portal," he said at a press conference today.
Azwanddin said the authorities should look into a possible multi-million ringgit corruption and links of foreign funds to TMI.
At the same press conference, he showed Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM) documents linking Puan Sri Faridah Begum Abdul Kader as a director of Inside Media Sdn Bhd, the holding company for TMI.
Faridah is, reportedly, the sister of TMI chief executive officer Jahabar Sadiq, and wife of Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali.
This issue had been highlighted by delegates at the recent Umno general assembly, following which Multimedia and Communications Minister Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak ordered a Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) investigation into the portal's affairs.
Azwanddin said: "We have records that show the company's funding is mainly from Hong Kong through a firm Inside Asia Pte Ltd, of which Jahabar is also chief executive."
Azwanddin said investigation should also focus on the accounts of TMI staff and management to ensure they were above board.
He said JMM would hand over related documents on TMI to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) at its headquarters in Putrajaya at 11am tomorrow.
"We will reveal all that we have to the MACC,” he said.
Azwanddin claimed that the news portal had undermined the government, defamed the Prime Minister and degraded the Malay rulers.