Najib wants Dow Jones' position on WSJ articles

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak

PETALING JAYA: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak wants the publisher of The Wall Street Journal to state its position on two articles related to the alleged transfer of 1Malaysia Development Bhd funds to the personal accounts of the Prime Minister.

In a letter dated July 8 to Dow Jones and Company Inc, the Prime Minister's law firm, Hafarizam Wan & Aisha Mubarak, said it was seeking "to procure your position" as the articles collectively "suggest that you are unsure of the original source of the money and what happened to the money" while on the other hand, the general gist of the articles create a clear impression that our client had misappropriated about US700mil belonging to 1MDB.

"You will no doubt appreciate the seriousness of the allegation made against our client in the articles and this confirmation sought to enable us to advise our client on the appropriate legal recourse he can take to seek redress in relation to the articles," said the letter which was signed Datuk Mohd Hafarizam Harun.

The letter said the articles, written by Simon Clark and Tom Wright, titled "Malaysian leader's accounts probed" and "Scandal in Malaysia" carried a "plethora of convoluted, scurrilous and vague allegations against our client." 

"We demand a reply within 14 days and please let us know whether you have appointed solicitors in Malaysia to accept service legal proceedings," it said.

The letter was for the attention of David Pitofsky, General Counsel, and addressed to the Board of Directors, Dow Jones and Company Inc,  Avenue of the Americas in New York.

Read also: Najib starts move for legal action over WSJ article