Tengku Sariffuddin Tengku Ahmad
KUALA LUMPUR: The Wall Street Journal’s (WSJ) lies and total disregard for the facts in its reporting on Malaysia have been proven again, said the press secretary to the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Tengku Sariffuddin Tengku Ahmad (pic).
He said the WSJ reported as fact multiple times, including by Ken Brown on April 20 and Tom Wright on March 11, that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had appointed Tan Sri Irwan Serigar Abdullah to be the new governor of Bank Negara and that he was linked to 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).
This was despite no announcement having been made, and based on anonymous sources, he said in a statement in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.
Tengku Sariffuddin said the new governor had been named and it was Datuk Muhammad Ibrahim, the current deputy governor.
Muhammad has been appointed the new governor for five years effective May 1, the Prime Minister’s Office announced on Wednesday.
Muhammad, who was deputy governor since 2010, will assume the position from Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akthar Aziz, 68, who retires on April 30.
Tengku Sariffuddin said unfortunately, many believed WSJ’s reporting because they did not realise that the WSJ was allowing itself to be used as the willing vehicle of former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s anti-Najib campaign, just for the sake of sensational headlines.
“The most basic duty of any journalist is to check the facts, especially if the allegations are serious and from political opponents. But the WSJ continues to report anonymously sourced lies as facts. They are a disgrace to journalism. As today proved again, Malaysians can’t believe anything they say,” he said. - Bernama
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