Senior Sarawak minister Tan Sri Dr James Masing said Barisan Nasional strategic communications director Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan made the "wrong move" by using the so-called “confession” of a disgraced former Sarawak journalist about a plot hatched by the founder and editor of whistleblower site Sarawak Report on the 1MDB.
“I'm quite surprised (Abdul Rahman had used him). If Abdul Rahman had asked me, I would not have advised him to use him (Melanyi).
“I would tell him not to listen too much (to what Melanyi said) and not to pin too much on his claims." said the Sarawak Land Development Minister.
Masing said the Lester in the video was not the Lester he knew two years ago (when the journalist worked for Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle Brown's other initiative, Radio Free Sarawak).
“I've seen the video (where former journalist Lester Melanyi claimed the Sarawak Report and opposition leaders had worked together to forge documents about 1MDB before the website published its exposes on the debt-laden fund).
“There seemed to be a question of credibility with the Lester I saw in the video.”
Wrong move
Masing said Abdul Rahman might have made “the wrong move” in putting too much trust in Lester's claims.
Melanyi in 2006 was fired from his sub-editor position by the now out of business Sarawak Tribune for reprinting the controversial Jyllands-Posten Prophet Muhammad cartoons.
The printing of the cartoons drew the ire of the paper's mainly Muslim owners and Putrajaya. Its printing licence was subsequently suspended which ultimately led to the closure of the 61 year-old paper – the state's oldest.
Melanyi also had a short stint with another Sarawak tabloid, Malaysian Today, as its editorial adviser but was later asked to leave due to alleged mismanagement.
Radio Free Sarawak co-founder Peter John Jaban said Melanyi worked for the independent radio station for only two months before he was asked to leave.
Melanyi was sent to London to work at its London studio, John said, but “Lester was not really working”.
“He behaved as as if he was on an overseas holiday.
"We therefore had no need of him and asked him to leave. We sent him home.”
No credibility
Meanwhile, PKR Sarawak vice chairman See Chee How, whom Melanyi named as one of the opposition leaders who had conspired with Sarawak Report, said he is weighing his legal options on Melanyi.
“Right now, I don't think I would act just yet.
“Lester has no credibility and what he claimed could not be taken as the truth.
“Moreover, I think he had been paid (to make the confession).”
See, the Batu Lintang assemblyman, said if Melanyi continues to hantam (attack) him to sully his reputation, then he could be forced to take legal action against him.
“Right now I'm not too bothered. He can say anything. Anyone who knows him would know he has no credibility.”
PKR party secretary-general Rafizi Ramli however is mulling legal action against Melanyi and those making the allegation that he and other opposition leaders had conspired with Sarawak Report to fabricate information about 1MDB.
Melanyi is the younger brother of Court of Appeal judge Datuk Linton Albert. - TMI
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