Malaysian Insider news portal shuts down after being blocked by government for its reports on 1MDB scandal
Prime Minister Najib Razak has been under pressure for a year over allegations that billions of dollars were pilfered from state fund and for his admitted acceptance of a mysterious US$681 million sum.
A leading Malaysian news portal that was blocked by the government after it ran reports on a scandal linked to Prime Minister Najib Razak is shutting down after eight years, it announced on Monday.
The Malaysian Insider has been a key player in the growth of plucky online news sites that have rapidly gained a following over the past decade by reporting on official malfeasance and corruption, filling a void left by pro-government traditional media.
Last month, Malaysia’s government began blocking access to the site after it published a story on corruption allegations swirling around Najib.
The website’s owner, The Edge Media Group, said in a statement that it had been in negotiations to sell the loss-making portal but that talks broke down in the wake of the government block.
“We believe the recent problems TMI had with [the Malaysian government] had made it more difficult for a sale to be concluded,” it said, adding that it had no choice but to close the site.
The news will fuel further fears for democratic space and media freedoms under Najib.
We believe the recent problems TMI had with [the Malaysian government] had made it more difficult for a sale to be concluded