PUTRAJAYA: The appointment of senior deputy Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) governor Datuk Muhammad Ibrahim as the new central bank head was proof of The Wall Street Journal's misreporting and disregard for facts.
The Prime Minister's press secretary Datuk Seri Tengku Sariffuddin Tengku Ahmad said the WSJ had misreported and speculated numerous times on the appointment of the BNM head.
"The WSJ reported as fact multiple times, including by Ken Brown on April 20 and Tom Wright on March 11, that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had appointed Treasury Secretary-General Tan Sri Dr Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah to be the new Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia, and that he was linked to 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).
"This was despite no announcement having been made, and based on anonymous sources," he said in a statement today.
The Prime Minister's Office today announced Muhammad Ibrahim’s appointment, which takes effect on May 1.
Tengku Sariffuddin said many had believed in WSJ’s misreporting and had been influenced by it.
"Unfortunately, many believe the WSJ’s reporting on Malaysia, because they don’t realise that the WSJ are allowing themselves to be used as the willing vehicle of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed’s ‘Anti-Najib Campaign’, just for the sake of sensational headlines," he added.
He said the most basic duty of any journalist is to check the facts, especially if the allegations are serious and originate from political opponents.
"But the WSJ continue to report anonymously - sourced lies as facts.
"They are a disgrace to journalism. As today proved again, Malaysians can’t believe anything they say," he said.