The reporting of The Edge Weekly and The Edge Financial Daily on 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) issue was based on a doubtful source, the High Court here was told today.
Senior Federal Counsel (SFC) Alice Loke, who represented the home ministry also said the reporting of the two publications concerned was provocative, raising controversy and having a tendency to influence the readers.
"In view of its provocative reporting on 1MDB and the likelihood of harm from such reporting, the minister explained that it was imperative to inquire into the source of the information the applicant received.
"He had to be certain that in publishing articles on 1MDB, the applicant had relied on verified sources. As 1MDB had attracted much critism and negative comments, the order for suspension was made in the public interest to prevent aggravating an uneasy public, especially where these sentiments were provoked by news based on information from a doubtful source. This situation was likely to prejudice public order," she said in her submission before Judge Datuk Asmabi Mohamad.
On Aug 5, The Edge Communications Sdn Bhd secured leave to apply for a judicial review over the suspension of two of its publications, The Edge Weekly and The Edge Financial Daily by the home ministry.
Loke also said that The Edge Communications Sdn Bhd reporting on 1MDB was such that there was only one conclusion to be made as to whether there was mismanagement.
"The minister was therefore, justified in his decision to suspend. The public deserves to know the outcome of the investigations which have started, instead of prematurely arriving at a conclusion from reading provocative publications on the issue," she added.
Furthermore, she said the applicant had failed to respond to the notice which queried the source of the applicant's source of information for its article on 1MDB.
Meanwhile, lawyer Darryl Goon, representing The Edge Communications Sdn Bhd, submitted that the minister's decision to suspend the publications for a period of three months was illegal, ultra vires and unconstitutional.
He said the decision was also irrational because no reasonable minister could have come to a conclusion that articles on corporate governance, namely the possible financial mismanagement of a company (1MDB), could be prejudicial to public order, security or likely to alarm public opinion, and to be prejudicial to public interest.
"The decision to suspend was made by the minister on the basis that The Edge's publications contained undesirable publications contrary to section 7(1) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 (PPPA).
"Under section 7(1), an undesirable publication can only be prohibited by order of the minister published in a gazette. This was not done in this case.
The decision to suspend is therefore, illegal because there was no breach and could not have been any breach of section 7(1) as alleged in the letter of suspension," added Goon.
He also submitted that the publications on 1MDB by the applicant were in fact, in the interest of the public, rather than to the contrary.
The company had filed an application for leave for a judicial review on July 27, by naming the home ministry's secretary-general and home minister as the respondents.
The Edge Communications Sdn Bhd had applied for leave to institute proceedings under Order 53 Rule 3 of the Rules of Court 2012 for an order of certiorari for the court to quash the decision of the home minister.
The company also sought an interim order for a stay of execution of the decision, pending the outcome of the hearing of the application and costs.
The home minister, in a letter dated July 23 signed by one Hashimah Nik Jaafar on behalf of the minister, notified the company of the suspension of the publishing permits of both publications.
According to a letter sent to the senior managing editor of the company, Ahmad Azam Mohd Aris, the ministry said the articles on 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) by The Edge were detrimental to public order, security and national interest.
It also said that the failure to comply with the suspension order would result in the revocation of the publishing permits of the publications.
The court set September 21 for decision.
Bernama
Mon Sep 07 2015
The Edge Communications Sdn Bhd reporting on 1MDB was such that there was only one conclusion to be made as to whether there was mismanagement, says Senior Federal Counsel. - File Photo
Chegubard didakwa di Mahkamah Sesyen KL esok - Peguam
Badrul Hisham Shaharin atau dikenali Chegubard akan didakwa di Mahkamah Sesyen Kuala Lumpur esok atas pertuduhan memfitnah dan menghasut.
Pulau Pinang, kerajaan pusat bekerjasama tarik pelaburan semikonduktor
Kerajaan Pulau Pinang akan bekerjasama dengan Kerajaan Persekutuan untuk meneruskan usaha menarik pelaburan dalam sektor semikonduktor, termasuk segmen reka bentuk litar bersepadu (IC) di negeri itu.
Rakyat Malaysia di Jordan jadi duta produk PMKS negara
Menteri Pembangunan Usahawan dan Koperasi Datuk Ewon Benedick menyarankan rakyat Malaysia yang menetap di Jordan supaya memainkan peranan sebagai “duta” untuk mempromosikan produk perusahaan mikro kecil dan sederhana (PMKS) SERTA koperasi negara.
Mohamed Khaled tiba di Indonesia, dijadual bertemu Prabowo
Menteri Pertahanan Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin tiba di Jakarta hari ini untuk lawatan kerja rasmi sulung beliau ke Indonesia sejak memegang jawatan itu.
SPRM mohon maklumat dari Jerman
Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) memohon maklumat terkini daripada pihak berkuasa Jerman mengenai dana bon 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) yang dipercayai digunakan untuk membeli kereta mewah di negara itu pada 26 Okt 2022.
SPRM siasat pemimpin kanan di utara tanah air
Seorang pemimpin kanan di utara tanah air disiasat Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) kerana disyaki melantik beberapa syarikat yang mempunyai kepentingan dengannya membabitkan beberapa projek pembekalan melibatkan peruntukan kira-kira RM300,000.
Kembangkan kandungan tempatan melalui AI
Menurut Setiausaha Agung Organisasi Kerjasama Digital (DCO) Deemah Al Yahya, terdapat 2.7 peratus daripada penduduk dunia tidak berhubung malah tidak mempunyai sambungan asas internet. Beliau turut berkata infrastruktur pengkomputeran setiap negara perlu mempunyai kemampuan untuk mengembangkan kandungan tempatan khususnya yang melibatkan penggunaan AI.
AI tidak dapat ganti guru
Menteri Pendidikan Rwanda, Gaspard Twagirayezu berkata kepesatan teknologi AI dalam pendidikan tidak dapat menggantikan guru malah membantu guru dalam menyediakan bahan pengajaran yang bermanfaat kepada pelajar.
Berita tempatan pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Berikut adalah berita yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang Ahad, 28 April 2024.
Mesyuarat Khas WEF: Dunia perlukan persaingan sihat dalam transisi ke Orde Baharu - Menteri Luar Arab Saudi
Menteri Luar Negeri Arab Saudi, Putera Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud berkata dunia memerlukan persaingan sihat dalam transisi daripada Orde Dunia Lama kepada Orde Baharu. Jelasnya, persaingan ini akan memberi manfaat dalam bentuk kos pengeluaran lebih rendah, perkembangan inovasi dan pelaburan lebih baik. #MesyuaratKhasWEF #WEF
SPRM mohon maklumat dari Jerman berhubung dana 1MDB disyaki beli kereta mewah
Ia berhubung laporan kereta mewah dirampas oleh pihak berkuasa Jerman di Munich yang dipercayai berkait dengan kes 1MDB.
Kes 1MDB: Najib percaya Blackstone dikawal Arab Saudi, Raja Abdullah - Saksi
Saksi memberitahu Najib percaya bahawa syarikat Blackstone Asia Real Estate Partners dikawal oleh kerajaan Arab Saudi dan Raja Arab Saudi.
1MDB: Prosiding Najib julung kali dibuat pada Sabtu
Perbicaraan pertama dibuat pada hujung minggu ini berlangsung tepat jam 8.30 pagi, selepas bekas Perdana Menteri itu dibawa pihak berkuasa dengan menaiki kenderaan dari Jabatan Penjara.
'Kementerian Kewangan tiada rekod surat kelulusan Najib bagi 1MDB ambil alih Tanjong Energy, Genting Sanyen' - Saksi
Dalam siasatan SPRM, Kementerian Kewangan mengesahkan tidak mempunyai rekod ke atas kedua-dua surat tersebut.
Najib diberi peluang jelaskan mengenai dokumen 1MDB ketika disoal siasat - Pegawai SPRM
Mahkamah Tinggi diberitahu bahawa Najib diberi peluang untuk menjelaskan secara terperinci mengenai dokumen berkaitan 1MDB, ketika disoal siasat.
Najib tak pernah arah pengurusan 1MDB pindah AS$1.03 bilion kepada syarikat Jho Low - Saksi
Mahkamah Tinggi diberitahu bahawa Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak tidak pernah mengarahkan mana-mana individu daripada pengurusan 1MDB untuk memindahkan AS$1.03 bilion kepada syarikat Jho low.
Tidak penting untuk tanya jika Najib arah AS$700 juta dipindah kepada syarikat Jho Low - Saksi
Saksi itu berkata demikian ketika disoal oleh peguam Wan Azwan Aiman Wan Fakhruddin berhubung transaksi yang dilakukan pada September 2009.
1MDB: Mahkamah akan tentukan sama ada pendakwaan berjaya buktikan kes - Hakim
Muhammad Shafee berhujah bahawa pertuduhan terhadap anak guamnya adalah salah serta bertindih.
1MDB: SPRM ke Riyadh untuk sahkan surat derma RM2.6 bilion - Saksi
Penguasa Kanan SPRM Nur Aida Arifin berkata pihaknya telah pergi ke Istana Riyadh pada 2015 bagi mengadakan pertemuan dengan dua putera Arab Saudi.
1MDB: Najib tak dedah mengenai pertemuan dengan Raja Arab Saudi ketika siasatan - Saksi
Najib tidak memaklumkan kepada SPRM mengenai pertemuan delegasi Malaysia bersama Raja Arab Saudi, Almarhum Raja Abdullah Abdul Aziz Al-Saud.