PM: Govt may consider banning ‘Man On The Run’

SEPANG: The government is willing to consider Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s request for a removal and ban of the Man On The Run documentary on Netflix, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

“We will consider it,” the Prime Minister said when responding to questions from the media about the official letter that Najib had submitted to the Communications Ministry to take action against the airing of the show by the US-based video streaming platform.

Man On The Run spotlights the fugitive Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho, or Jho Low, and his dealings with the controversial 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).

In the letter issued by Messrs Shafee and Co, Najib’s defence team contended that the statements by several individuals in the documentary, including former attorney general Tan Sri Tommy Thomas and Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown, were in contempt of court as Najib’s 1MDB corruption trial was still ongoing at the High Court.

In the letter dated Jan 11, the team urged the government to have the documentary removed and restrain the platform from further screening it.

It was addressed to Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) chairman Tan Sri Mohamad Salim Fateh Din and MCMC chief compliance officer Datuk Zulkairnain Mohd Yasin.

The letter was also forwarded to the Kuala Lumpur Courts Complex deputy registrar, Attorney General Datuk Ahmad Terrirudin Mohd Salleh, and the prosecution at the Attorney General’s Chambers.

On Monday, Najib’s lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah had said before High Court judge Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah during the 1MDB trial that they were seeking to remove the 98-minute show off the platform for what they called “subjudicial and contemptuous” content.

Meanwhile, Anwar, speaking to the media after performing Friday prayers at the Al-Hijrah Mosque in Desa Pinggiran Putra here yesterday, also said the government will study the impact of the Japanese rail firms’ decision to opt out of the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high-speed rail (HSR) project.

“Will look into it, I just received the report,” Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, said.

According to a Kyodo News report, the Japanese firms have decided to drop their plans to get involved in a high-speed rail project as sources said it “will be too risky without the Malaysian government’s financial support”.

In July 2023, MyHSR Corporation Sdn Bhd (MyHSR) launched a request for information (RFI) process to enable the private sector to formally submit concept proposals for the HSR project through a public-private partnership model.

It also held an RFI briefing for the project, which reportedly attracted over 700 local and international participants.

The implementation of the RFI process also signifies the government’s initiative to revive the HSR project through new financing mechanisms and execution models, as well as efforts to enhance rail transport infrastructure and boost the country’s economy.

The RFI deadline for the project is Jan 15.