Najib mocks DAP’s ‘proof’ on claim made against blogger

(FMT) – Najib Razak today mocked DAP’s defence of the Penang undersea tunnel project, currently being probed again by the authorities, pointing out that the article it shared on social media to back up its claim against a blogger, has instead debunked it.

The former prime minister said fact number three of the five DAP had listed claimed that a pro-Barisan Nasional blogger, Raja Petra Kamarudin (RPK), had made a false accusation based on a fake document on the project.

DAP went on to say that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had lodged a police report against RPK.

The party subsequently shared a story by Malaysiakini as “evidence” of their claim.

However, Najib said the first paragraph of the news report clearly states that MACC’s police report was over the leak of the investigation papers, which implicates DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and other senior leaders, by RPK on his blog.

“This is proof that DAP thinks the public and their supporters are easily fooled and would only read the headline,” he said in a Facebook post.

Najib also said another report quoting a source from the anti-graft agency also rubbishes DAP’s claim.

On Wednesday, a well-placed source in the MACC told FMT that the police report was lodged over “leakage of evidence” and not over false documents.

Raja Petra had written an expose he claimed was based on documents leaked from the project, implicating Guan Eng, who was Penang chief minister at the time the project was initiated, and several state executive councillors, including current Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, Abdul Malik Abul Kassim and Lim Hock Seng.

Guan Eng had sued Raja Petra for defamation over the blogger’s allegations, obtaining a judgment in default in February this year after the blogger did not contest the suit.

The MACC recently renewed its probe into the tunnel project, with anti-graft officers raiding three companies yesterday following the arrest of a former Penang Port Commission top official.

The RM6.3 billion undersea tunnel and three main roads project was mooted by the Penang government to alleviate the traffic on the first bridge.

The 7.2km undersea tunnel will connect Pulau Tikus’ Pangkor Road and Bagan Ajam in Butterworth. If its feasibility study is positive, construction will begin in 2023.