KUALA LUMPUR, Mar 15 — Pakatan Harapan (PH) today condemned the spreading of rumours and news reports claiming that DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng’s son was arrested in Singapore with RM2 million in cash.
PH also urged the media and the public to safeguard their freedom to express themselves but not report fake news.
In a statement released by the coalition’s secretariat, it urged the media not to bow down to the whims and fancies of politicians by printing slanderous news at their behest.
The news on Lim’s son that went viral, was widely shared on social media till it got the attention of the police.
Upon investigation, it was found that the news was fake and generated by individuals wanting to tarnish Lim’s reputation as he is DAP’s secretary-general and a member of the Opposition now.
“Even after our Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador denied that any arrests were made, still there are efforts to spread this slanderous news in order to tarnish Lim Guan Eng, our former finance minister’s, reputation,” the statement read.
“PH would like to remind the people not to spread information that has not been verified and we urge the authorities including the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission and the Royal Malaysian Police to investigate and take the necessary action against these individuals.
“We also hope that the media will not disregard the freedom of press they’ve enjoyed thus far and return to the old ways of giving in to the whims and fancies of certain politicians.
“We hope you will continue to report the news in a responsible manner, based on facts and not slander that’s generated by those being fed by kleptocrats.”
Chinese-language newspaper Nanyang Siang Pau had earlier reported that the child of a “senior Pakatan Harapan leader” had allegedly been nabbed after he attempted to bring in RM2mil into Singapore without proper verification.
Controversial blog Malaysia Today later quoted the Nanyang article and alleged that the young man involved was Lim’s son.