In a Skype interview with FMT, the editor of Sarawak Report said there were whispers of corruption involving leaders of the country all this while, but the public felt they couldn’t do anything about it as they weren’t able to prove their suspicions.
“The government had placed a wall of secrecy around all its actions and this is why the public has called for a transparent government. It stops politicians from being able to steal money without it becoming obvious.
“What it (the secrecy) showed me was how much control of the media there is and how little transparency the politicians of Malaysia have got away with.”
She said The Malaysian Insider and Sarawak Report were casualties in the government’s attempt to maintain its secrets, and she views the government’s blocks on the two sites as an admission of guilt.
The Malaysian Insider has since closed, after claiming accumulated commercial losses, while Sarawak Report remains blocked by the authorities.
“It shows the world that the Malaysian government cannot tolerate any kind of independent reporting on its actions and the reason it can’t is because it’s so exposed, it’s so guilty.
“So the only way that it feels it can cope with the coverage is to shut up the independent media.
“It’s as simple as that and everyone can see it.
“They had to resort to strong-arm tactics because they aren’t able to defend themselves in legal ways.”
The Sarawak-born Briton warned that if the situation did not change soon, the ones who would be affected most would be Malaysian citizens.
This is because other countries are often looking at one another, especially for business and investment purposes.
“Where it is most damaging is in your financial position as Malaysia is a country that has been trading with the world. It is aligned to the Western economies.
“What Najib has done is to *exponentially* increase the out-of-control corruption that exists in Malaysia. And the financial community is not going to feel safe investing in Malaysia.
“More is going to come out, not less, of (Prime Minister) Najib Razak’s activities and this will damage Malaysia’s economy.”