But that’s just one of the issues over the detention of Malaysiakini journalist B Nantha Kumar for allegedly taking RM20,000 in return for not writing two articles. No less than MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki said the reporter was detained for allegedly taking the money from an immigrant agent and not for his articles.
But there are serious questions about this detention and whether the money could have been planted. Why would a reporter, who exposes himself to danger by uncovering corruption in the Immigration Department, suddenly ask for RM20,000 to withhold two articles?
Before his detention, Nantha had been writing articles about corruption in the Immigration Department. On Feb 25, an article he wrote in Malaysiakini said a former Immigration Department officer, who is now a “Datuk”, is the mastermind behind the new Pakistani cartel responsible for smuggling migrant workers into Malaysia.
Big fish untouched
Previously, on Oct 16 last year, he wrote that despite the arrest of 50 immigration officers, the “big fish” still remained untouched, making it impossible for the syndicates to be wiped out.
Following his reports, Malaysiakini handed over the names of “three big fish” to Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, at his request. This was done at the Parliament building on Oct 17, 2024. The big fish were nicknamed...