©The Sun (Used by permission)
by Timothy Achariam
PUTRAJAYA: The Ministry of Home Affairs said today that the government will not clamp down on the media and it does not have the power to stop the media from speculating on current issues of the country.
Deputy Home Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said that they will not suppress the media because of a promise it made in 1993.
“We made the policy not to clamp down on the media because of a promise we made when we launched multimedia in this country in 1993 and the policy still stands,” he said.
He said that people will still continue to make allegations against the government on various platforms including social media.
“People are still making allegations on the government all the time anyway, the speculation is ongoing. I don’t think the government has the power to really stop media from speculating,” he said.
Last week, Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said that the Home ministry would investigate The Edge for publishing unsubstantiated news on 1MDB’s aborted joint venture with PetroSaudi International (PSI).
Junaidi said today that the ministry had investigated thoroughly on whether or not an offence had been committed by The Edge’s report.
“When the ministry decides on certain things, it is not based on assumption, it is based on fully investigated cases whether or not culpability or offence has been committed by the media concerned,” he said.
Junaidi was officiating Launching Ceremony of the 4th General Police & Special Equipment Exhibition & Conference (GPEC) Asia 2015 that will be held in Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) from October 21 to 23.
Also in attendance with him was Inspector–General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar who said that if there is a necessity, the Police will call them (The Edge) in for investigations.
“If there is a necessity, we will call anybody in for that matter,” he said.