Sarawak Report takes a tough tone in many of its stories, especially when revealing corruption in high places. So we are generally phlegmatic about the often angry rebuttals we sometimes get.
Usually, we rely on the facts to make our case against detractors and allow readers to decide by comparing those facts with the criticisms against us.
However, over the past days, certain characters who claim to represent the government and their friendly media outlets have gone too far.
They have paraded a sick and discredited individual, who has poured out strings of lies, which none of them have sought to check out, in order to claim this as “proof” that our research was all “forged”.
This would be entertaining for being so ridiculous, given the mass of evidence that supports all we have written. But ministers have now used this character and these ludicrous libels as an excuse to order an internet ban on Sarawak Report.
BN’s so-called strategic communications chief, Abdul Rahman Dahlan, a minister for housing, has on the same grounds outrageously libelled the writer, calling her “scum” and labelled our research as “blatant lies”.
This is despite the fact that all our articles have been closely researched and substantiated.
Moreover, numerous other publications have supported our findings and repeated our conclusions in the global media.
Mr Dahlan has not produced a single shred of evidence that would lead anyone to believe the ravings of the mentally unbalanced bankrupt, Lester Melanyi.
We therefore accuse Mr Dahlan of criminal libel, motivated by malicious intent.
We are consulting our lawyers with a view to reporting him to the Malaysian police authorities and also issuing libel proceedings against him and other parties, including the New Straits Times and other publications which have deliberately promoted falsehoods designed to damage the credibility of Sarawak Report.
We will also report Mr Melanie’s vicious criminal libel to the local police (he’s not worth suing) and we warn him and anyone who continues to promote his present and future made up stories that we will seek appropriate damages.
