The ability of Singapore's The Straits Times (ST) to consistently secure first-hand, exclusive scoops on political and financial scandals in Malaysia is quite impressive by any standards.
Yes, it is common knowledge that when a high-level Malaysian official, politician, or businessman wants to leak a sensitive document (like a secret MACC investigation, a draft blueprint, or a political pact), they rarely give it to local mainstream media.
Doing so risks putting local journalists in legal jeopardy via the Official Secrets Act (OSA) or printing license suspensions.
They would `intentionally’ use ST as a megaphone.
Because ST is published in Singapore, local authorities cannot easily shut it down or force its editors to reveal their sources, making it the perfect vehicle for strategic political leaks.
The biggest advantage ST has over domestic Malaysian media is that it is outside the jurisdiction of Malaysian media regulators, such as the Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
Besides, ST is not viewed by insiders as a standard "foreign" news outlet.
It is a known fact that ST's veteran journalists and editors share lifelong networks with Malaysia's elite, including royalty, top civil servants, and corporate chieftains.
When Malaysian political figures or financiers find themselves on the wrong side of the law, Singapore is often a critical hub for their funds, legal teams, or travels.
This proximity apparently gives ST unique access.
A prime example was ST securing highly controversial, exclusive interviews with fugitive financier Jho Low during the height of the 1MDB scandal—a move that even triggered public sparring with Malaysian business papers like The Edge.
It reported on the highly sensitive decision by the Pardons Board to grant Najib conditional house arrest.
It broke details on the severe internal friction including the offer by the Transport Minister to resign in protest over the house arrest decision.
It also ran an expansive feature exposing Malaysia's "corporate mafia" scandal.
It provided extensive coverage on the intense pressure surrounding the x Chief Commissioner of MACC, detailing specific internal allegations of misconduct and rules breaches that local mainstream state media handled with extreme caution.
It unraveled the quiet palace maneuvers in Negeri Sembilan, documenting a failed underground attempt to sign a document to depose the sitting ruler—an act officially condemned as treason—and how UMNO capitalized on the chaos to force early polls.
It tracks the financial health of Malay-linked government institutions, which double as massive political fault lines
So whenever ST carries an article on matters in Malaysia, be it corporate or politics, be sure that the news emanates from an insider to be proven right later.
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