PETALING JAYA: Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (pix) has urged the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) to drop the criminal defamation charges made against a former chief editor of The Edge over articles published in the business weekly.
The Langkawi MP said the AGC should allow the alleged defamed parties to settle their dispute through civil action.
“I am very disturbed with the criminal defamation charges initiated against The Edge’s editor emeritus Encik Azam Aris over two articles published by the publication regarding penny stocks and their manipulation in the Malaysian stock exchange.
“Firstly, if there is no truth to what had been reported, the person or companies that felt that they had been wronged should have sued the editor and the publication for defamation. That is what in most other cases we have witnessed in disputes involving media reports.
“The readiness of the public prosecutor’s office to initiate criminal charges against the editor when the publication had alleged that a crime had been committed is quite baffling. By any logic, the investigation should be directed at the people alleged to have committed the crime,” he said in a statement today.
Having editors charged and handcuffed as common criminals is intimidating and sets back efforts to promote the freedom of the press which the Pakatan Harapan government had committed itself to during the 22-month of its rule, Dr Mahathir added.
Azam was charged with allegedly defaming Kua Khai Shyuan and DGB Asia Bhd in an article published in The Edge on Sept 21, 2020.
In the second charge, Azam and contributing editor Shanmugam Murugasu, who was not in court, were alleged to have defamed Kua, DGB Asia, Trive Property Group Bhd, Metronic Global Bhd, and MNC Wireless Bhd in another article published on April 12 last year.
