Four private television stations have been ordered not to name political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda when reporting the Altantuya Shaarriibuu murder case.
Malaysiakini has learnt that the top management of Media Prima Berhad - the owner of the four TV stations - had issued a directive on the matter.
The media giant, which is believed to be linked to ruling party Umno, controls the country’s four free-to-air private TV stations - TV3, ntv7, 8TV and tv9.
The directive was part of an email sent on behalf of the group director of news and current affairs, television networks, Kamarulzaman Zainal.
Kamarulzaman was press secretary to Abdullah Ahamd Badawi when the former premier was deputy PM. He was appointed to helm Media Prima soon after Abdullah took power in 2003.
The email listed four ‘don’ts’ involving news reports relating to the high-profile murder case of Mongolia national Altantuya, who was mistress of Razak Baginda (left).The TV stations were ordered not to mention Razak Baginda's name and ignore all news background related to him.
Editors were instead told to focus their reports on the two accused in the murder trial, who were sentenced to death last week.
Razak Baginda, a close confidant of newly-minted Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, was charged with abetting the murder but was later freed.
The controversial court decision had sparked off a fresh round of speculations that the powers-that-be had a hand in the acquittal.
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