‘The Edge’ vows to report on 1MDB despite ban

PETALING JAYA: The Edge will continue to report on the 1MDB scandal despite being slapped with a three-month suspension by the Home Ministry.

The Edge Media Group CEO and publisher Ho Kay Tat said the weekly stood by its reports, saying it has done “nothing wrong”. The ministry yesterday suspended the publishing permit of The Edge Weekly and The Edge Financial Daily for three months from July 27.

Ho maintained that the articles produced by The Edge had not been challenged. “There is a lot to report on. A lot is happening (involving 1MDB). Even today, Bank Negara is looking for two individuals to assist in investigations.

“We will continue what we do best, to report on what is happening in Malaysia and in the financial world,” he told reporters at the publication’s office here last night.

Earlier, Ho met his staff for about 25 minutes to explain the situation. “The staff will continue to receive full pay during the suspension,” said Ho.

He said they were looking at the possibility of digital options so that the staff could continue to work.

Ho also said The Edge would apply for a judicial review of the ministry’s suspension order on Monday.

“We hope to get an urgent hearing on the matter,” he said.

In a statement issued earlier, The Edge said the ministry’s letter of suspension stated the two publications’ reporting of 1MDB was “prejudicial or likely to be prejudicial to public order, security or likely to alarm public opinion or is likely to be prejudicial to public and national interest”.

The ministry also said that a failure to stop publication for three months would result in the withdrawal of The Edge’s publishing permits.

“We don’t see how exposing the scam to cheat the people of Malaysia of billions of ringgit can be construed as being detrimental to public and national interest,” said Ho.

The group’s Malaysian operations have a staff count of around 350.

An employee, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the staff were not demoralised over the suspension.

Another employee said it was “business as usual for the news team”.