PUTRAJAYA: Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the cabinet meeting today was not informed of any action to be taken by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim against international news agency Bloomberg.
"The prime minister has not taken any action so far, based on what was communicated during today's meeting," the government spokesman told a weekly post-cabinet press briefing.
Fahmi was responding to questions about growing calls for Anwar to take action against the news agency.
He said the media has the right to report and the right to protect their sources and keep them confidential.
"However, we also hope the media will provide the right to reply and uphold the ethics of journalism, including in choosing news headlines.
"Sometimes, I notice — and this serves as a reminder from not just among the cabinet members but also in discussions on social media — the difference between clickbait headlines and the actual content of the news.
"I will not elaborate further, but I hope that there can be discussions on the headline choices and whether those headlines accurately represent or align with the content of the news," he said.
Last month, Bloomberg, citing sources, reported that Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki had informed the commission's officials that the investigations into former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his sons, as well as former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin, were initiated by Anwar.
Bloomberg claimed that Anwar had also allegedly instructed MACC not to investigate his former political secretary, Datuk Farhash Wafa Salvador, over the purchase of shares in a company linked to the development of a billion-ringgit immigration system.
In response, the Prime Minister's Office refuted both reports, stating that the Anwar had never issued any directive or interfered in investigations conducted by MACC.
Azam has also denied allegations that it had received external directives to halt investigations into specific people, saying such claims were unfair.