Malaysian Insider being sued?

It is believed that former Malaysia Airlines Chairman Tan Sri Tajudin Ramli is taking news portal The Malaysian Insider to court.

Details are cloudy at the moment. However it is believed to be about the alleged RM 8 billion losses accumulated during Tajudin’s time controlling and managing the national carrier. The Oppositions continued to harp on the matter with a malice political intent against the Government.

On 31 March 2011, The Malaysian Insider published “MACC clears A-G of graft allegations”. It can be seen that in the article, the writer put it as:

“Tajuddin was MAS executive chairman from 1994 to 2001 During his tenure the national airline experienced losses totalling RM8 billion — its biggest ever — which led to complaints being lodged against him”

This could be deemed as slandeorus as during Tajuddin’s time, Malaysia Airlines recorded an aggregate of RM 753 million in losses before tax. Of that, RM 1,398 million was attributable to losses caused by foreign exchange. It is yet have been proven anywhere on the arithmetic how the RM 8 billion losses are calculated and derived

	MALAYSIAN AIRLINE SYSTEM BERHAD
	AUDITED GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
	YEAR END	YEAR	REVENUE RM’000	PROFIT/LOSS BEFORE TAX RM’000	PROFIT/LOSS AFTER TAX RM’000		FOREX PROFIT/LOSSRM’000	TOTAL BORROWING RM’000	AVG EXCHG RATE 1 USD:RM
Pre TR	31 MAR	1993	3,735,952	157,896	145,424		18,559	3,143,225	2.59
Jul 94	31 MAR	1994	4,081,150	16,135	7,679		-47,082	5,693,925	2.68
	31 MAR	1995	4,780,087	149,892	139,269		-17,887	5,186,354	2.53
	31 MAR	1996	5,713,312	251,161	233,030		-7,105	5,933,661	2.53
TR	31 MAR	1997	6,484,950	349,409	333,975		37,456	6,108,941	2.48
	31 MAR	1998	7,051,326	-225,362	-256,639		-718,401	10,653,290	3.64
	31 MAR	1999	7,471,861	-669,735	-696,696		-392,765	10,295,987	3.80
Feb 01	31 MAR	2000	8,160,737	-236,890	-255,703		-546,908	10,339,912	3.80
	31 MAR	2001	8,956,145	-386,635	-413,318		294,631	9,150,875	3.80
			52,699,568	-752,025	-908,403		-1,398,061
	31 MAR	2002	8,377,901	-846,493	-831,595		112,584	8,968,009	3.80
	31 MAR	2003	8,674,578	333,935	338,952		-118,871	0	3.80
	31 MAR	2004	8,587,826	345,165	462,708		27,585	0	3.80
post	31 MAR	2005	10,950,882	364,453	328,746		15,690	0	3.80
TR	31 DEC	2005	8,850,810	-1,241,177	-1,261,188		17,874	0	3.78
	31 DEC	2006	13,171,838	-73,092	-133,737		-42,469	1,050,000	3.53
	31 DEC	2007	14,686,130	840,911	852,743		-65,482	859,672	3.31
	31 DEC	2008	15,035,303	264,661	245,697		-82,653	1,418,988	3.46
	31 DEC	2009	11,309,855	461,990	493,106		26,620	2,319,580	3.42
			99,645,123	450,353	495,432		-109,122

The amount for the suit is sketchy but it is strongly believed to be in the nine-digit range.

Malaysian Insider Chief Editor Jahabar Sadiq

We were told The Malaysian Insider Sdn Bhd, Chief Editor Jahabar Sadiq and writer Syazwan Kamal were named as defendants.

MI has been on a stream of rogue reporting and stirring up issues lately. They prefer to take a perspective which will stir up the majority’s emotion further and make the essence of the story for the Government and any of its associates to look bad. When the story about Malaysia Airlines-AirAsia share swap broke, MI skewed the story with a sinister agenda and instead, was harping on the lies of demonising Tajudin.

These former disciples of Kalimullah “Riong Kali” Hassan also manipulated facts for the very maluce intent, which include to confuse the public at large. Even statements made by Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Mohd. Najib Tun Razak. So much so, Jahabar had to publish an apology to PM Najib Tun on 19 August.

This would be a landmark case for online news reporting and commentary in Malaysia.

*Updated 900pm