News portal says MCMC wants takedown of video alleging Sabah corruption

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 17 — The Malaysiakini news portal said it has received a Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) request to remove two items alleging corruption in the Sabah government.

It said the regulator specified a video in which Tempasuk assemblyman Datuk Mohd Arsad Bistari alleged of political interference in a RM70 million project and an accompanying article.

The MCMC reportedly said both items could potentially affect police investigations into alleged death threats made against the person shown in the video and violate his privacy.

Malaysiakini said the MCMC only specified the video and not three others that were also related.

Yesterday, Arsad reportedly alleged that the videos had been manipulated to create a malicious interpretation of his remarks, which he claimed to not have their direct meaning.

MACC Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki previously said his agency was only presented with an unclear 17-second audio recording from the videos that he said were then provided to Malaysiakini.

Azam further said the person in the video had demanded protection as a whistleblower, which the MACC chief said they were not entitled to receive as an active participant of the alleged corruption.