After police questioning and phone confiscation, ex-Umno man insists Anwar should sue Bloomberg

Former Umno man Isham Jalil is not backing down from his call for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to take legal action against financial news Bloomberg - a view that landed him in a police investigation where his mobile phone was confiscated.

Isham said Anwar should sue the news outlet for defamation to defend the reputation of the prime minister's office and Malaysia.

"If what Bloomberg has reported is false, then that is defamation. Should Malaysians keep quiet while the prime minister is being defamed?" the former Umno Supreme Council member told MalaysiaNow.

On Tuesday, Isham was questioned for about two hours by Putrajaya police over his Facebook post in which he commented on a Bloomberg report accusing Anwar of interfering in the affairs of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

"If PMX is too busy to sue Bloomberg, the attorney-general could also file the suit against Bloomberg on behalf of the Malaysian government.

"Bloomberg's report is against Anwar in his capacity as the prime minister, the head of the Malaysian government," he had written on Facebook.

Isham is currently being investigated under Section 500 of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, both laws that are often used to silence government critics and whistleblowers.

On Sept 26, Bloomberg quoted sources as saying that Anwar had instructed MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki to go after political enemies with graft investigations against Daim, former leader Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his children.

The report also claimed that Azam was instructed by Anwar not to investigate his former political secretary Farhash Wafa Salvador over the controversial purchase of shares in a company linked to the development of a new billion-ringgit immigration system.

The Prime Minister's Office and  MACC have denied the claims.

Anwar was grilled on the report by US-based journalist Mehdi Hasan in a recent interview, with the prime minister directing his attacks at his political opponents, whom he accused of amassing "billions of ringgit".

Bloomberg's claims were followed by a police report by Daim calling for Anwar to be investigated for abuse of power, the same accusation that once saw the PKR leader being jailed in 1999 when he was convicted of trying to use his position as deputy prime minister to cover up an investigation into sexual misconduct.

However, Daim's lawyer said yesterday that the police were now focusing on investigations under Section 233 of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Act and Section 505(b) of the Penal Code, which deals with statements deemed harmful to public order - laws often used against government critics and media workers.

There are growing calls for Anwar to clear his name in court, with critics reminding him of the string of defamation lawsuits Anwar has filed against media organisations over the past two decades.

"It is convenient to issue an official statement every time Bloomberg behaves like this," lawyer Rafique Rashid told MalaysiaNow recently, referring to an earlier report by Bloomberg that Anwar had discussed with tycoons on a proposal to build a casino in Forest City.

"It has entered the realm of abuse of power at the highest level because it involves enforcement agencies and the PMO itself," Rafique added.

Isham said whether it is true or not, the Bloomberg report has huge implications.

"I am sure the public wants to know the truth. Bloomberg must answer. That is why I have suggested to Anwar to take legal action and sue Bloomberg," said Isham, who was expelled from Umno late last year for criticising party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.