This is the Media Statement by Ho Kay Tat, the Publisher and CEO of The Edge Media Group.
Someday, the country will give its highest honors to Ho Kay Tat for doing what he has been doing. Sarawak Report will also be given due recognition. (OSTB pula depa semua cuak).
Anyway here is the statement. Please note my highlights in bold and yellow:
Media Statement by Ho Kay Tat, Publisher & Group CEO of The Edge Media Group
We could not walk away on finding out about the scheme to cheat Malaysia of Billions of Ringgit
Kuala Lumpur, July 21, 2015 - The Edge had reported extensively on 1 Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) in 2013 and 2014 as it emerged that the government-owned entity had run into financial difficulties. Information was, however, scarce and limited because its annual audited financial reports were consistently late.
Our journalists have met various contacts and pored through whatever available information they could get hold of in search of the truth.
Early this year, we were told someone was willing to share information that will shed light on 1MDB’s joint-venture with PetroSaudi International. We were not told who he was before we met him.
This person, whom we shall not name, showed us thousands and thousands of emails and document attachments. We read scores of them and were convinced of their authenticity because of the sheer volume and the email trails. We subsequently had an IT forensic expert confirmed that there was no reason to worry that they were fakes.
What we read shocked us. What was supposed to be a joint-venture that will bring economic benefits to the country was nothing more than a scheme to scam billions of ringgit from Malaysia by a small group of Malaysians and their foreign partners.
At that point, we could do one of two things:
1) Drop the matter like a hot potato and walk away, or
2) Get hold of everything so that the truth can be uncovered.
We decided we had to pursue the truth.
As Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Tun Musa Hitam and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah said recently, those who have information that can lead to the truth must speak out and not look the other way. Not reporting a wrong doing is a crime.
Even Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin have said they want to get to the truth.
As a media group, we believe we have a public duty to do, no matter how difficult and dangerous it may be for us.
Meeting contacts to gather information is what media professionals do all the time in pursuit of a story. There is nothing wrong or sinister.
We were not involved in any theft, we did not pay anyone, and we did not tamper any of the emails and documents we were given. In fact, we have secured the data so that no one can tamper with them. This can be independently verified by the authorities.
Some of the information have been used in articles we have published in the last few months. Some were just too sensitive to be used. None of the articles have been challenged by anyone named in these stories.
Indeed, we believe our articles have been of help to the various government agencies looking at 1MDB.
There is no political agenda or conspiracy in what we have done. In fact, we have engaged with various politicians and government officials who have sought our help to get a better understanding of what had happened and the situation 1MDB is in today.
The easiest thing we could have done after coming across what we found, was to walk away. Why look for trouble? But we could not do that.
We chose to take the difficult path, one that we knew will be fraught with risks to ourselves personally and to our organisation, which now faces the possibility of action by the Home Ministry.
On Monday, we handed documents, printed emails and a hard disc to Bank Negara. Today, the same set was given to the Commercial Crime Investigation Department of the Police. I also gave a statement to CCID.
We are comforted that the various investigators, the Auditor-General, the Public Accounts Committee, Bank Negara, the Police, the MACC and the Attorney-General have given their commitment to uncover the truth without fear or favour.
It is, indeed, their responsibility and their duty to the people of Malaysia to do just that. Just as it was our duty to pursue the story.
Ho Kay Tat
Publisher & Group CEO
The Edge Media Group
My comments : Syabas Mr Ho. Precise and concise.
Information was and still is scarce because this is not a game that thrives on divulging too much information. This is a situation where transparency is a four letter word.
And in Malaysia the expert on transparency is of course that hypocritical "Transparency" fellow who is now on the side of Najib Razak. (By the way many people did notice when you left in a hurry when Najib chickened out and made a No Show at that Everything2Hide event the other day. Dont think we did not notice. You looked like you threw your own eggs on your own face at breakfast).
They borrowed RM42 Billion.
They spent RM15 Billion.
What happened to the balance RM27 Billion?
This question has still not been answered.
Where is the balance RM27 billion?
And until today, Husni Hanadzlah has not explained what is a 'unit'? According to Husni, 1MDB 'invested' the RM27 billion in 'units'. Apa itu unit? Still no answer.
The following is a declaration of war by Ho Kay Tat and The Edge Media Group : "nothing more than a scheme to scam billions of ringgit from Malaysia by a small group of Malaysians and their foreign partners"
This means you can go back over the past two years of The Edge's reporting about 1MDB and take it that their reporting was to expose "nothing more than a scheme to scam billions of ringgit from Malaysia by a small group of Malaysians and their foreign partners."
What does this mean? This is a simple case of thievery. Pencuri. Penyamun. A theft has occurred.
It is NOT even sophisticated. I saw through this scam in 2010 - when I first wrote about it in this blog. That was FIVE years ago. The scam happened in 2009.
(One seer even claimed that he detected this scam in 2008, before it happened !! It just goes to show the simplicity of the theft. No rocket science here.)
But Ho Kay Tat's declaration of war means something even more obvious:
Najib tidak akan saman (libel) Wall Street Journal
Najib tidak akan saman (libel) Sarawak Report
Najib tidak akan saman (libel) The Edge
Despite sending an 'entah ape punya' poorly worded letter to the Wall Street Journal there is no way Najib is going to sue them for libel.
There is no way Najib is going to sue the SR or The Edge for libel over all this. Takkan nak cari mampos. Once in Court, everything must come out. Lawyers will examine and cross examine.
What Najib will do is sue the kuci rats like Rafizi.
Or Najib will use power to clamp down on critics.
Using the MCMC to block the Sarawak Report site is a clear example (but rather stupid because you can access the site easily. Ini Internet lah kawan.) Now Ho Kay Tat has expressed fear that the KDN may take action against The Edge.
All these things can happen but what WILL NOT HAPPEN is
Najib tidak akan saman (libel) Wall Street Journal
Najib tidak akan saman (libel) Sarawak Report
Najib tidak akan saman (libel) The Edge
As Apanama says bulan puasa sudah habis, ini dah masuk bulan syawal, lepas ini akan masuk bulan Merdeka, lepas itu akan masuk bulan tak payah puasa pula.
And Najib will still not sue the Wall Street Journal. Takkan nak cari mampos.
This is a simple case of theft.
The Mr Ho says : "Not reporting a wrong doing is a crime"
Agreed. It is worse to drag your feet when investigating a crime.
Various excuses have been given by different departments of the SAME gomen:
- they did not provide us all the information we asked
- we do not have the power to demand all the information
- that is the responsibility of the other department
- we have to wait for the other department to finish their report
- we have to boil water for grandma's morning bath first
and all kinds of crap.
They have hired crooks in Social Media to spin stories for them.
That psycho TV station is going to shut down.
No one is going to buy any of the products advertised on that TV station.
Folks, boycott any goods advertised on that TV station that is helping to cover up this scandal.
Ho Kay Tat continues:
None of the articles have been challenged by anyone named in these stories.
Well, I will have to say it again :
Najib tidak akan saman (libel) Wall Street Journal
Najib tidak akan saman (libel) Sarawak Report
Najib tidak akan saman (libel) The Edge
Just wait and see. It is not going to happen.
They will soon craft a 'Statement of Retreat' for this.
A 'pull out in time' statement.
Obviously that lawyer cannot draft it in passable English.
The PR guy has left.
I heard the 'kaur' woman has also left the team.
They may have to ask the girl who answers the telephone to write it. She says 'hello' correctly.
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