Does freedom of expression take precedence over the course of law or even investigations by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and auditor-general?

Whilst the ease of access to Internet connection has made some more informed, it also means perception of issues can be manipulated if there is a strategy to influence public opinion.

Worse still, there is a tendency for many to assume that just because something is posted means it can be accepted as facts. Allegations must always be verified by indisputable facts.

Recently, 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) said that a trial by media brings no benefit to truth-seekers about the company. It argued that the search for truth must be fact-based and conducted by trustworthy, unbiased, and impartial parties instead of influencing public opinion via selective presentation of facts, lack of supporting evidence and biased reporting before the PAC and the auditor-general completed their reviews into its operations.

In his latest blog post, Kadir Jasin questioned why a trial by the media should be bad for 1MDB on the basis that ‘the mainstream media outlets like RTM , TV3 , the New Straits Times , Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian are fully behind the government and 1MDB in the ongoing debate’.

It is not a question of whether the government and 1MDB has or does not have confidence in the ability of these news organisations to ward off the alleged attempts by independent news portals and ‘unfriendly bloggers’ to mislead or influence the public.

It is not a question of whether ‘the public has every right to ask questions’.

It is a matter of responsibility not to incite citizens to offer emotional responses to condemn 1MDB or the government publicly before the PAC and AG has completed their investigations to confirm or refute the many allegations.

It is a matter of principle to allow the PAC, auditor-general and other agencies the space to carry out their responsibilities without interfering or overstepping boundaries in the name of freedom of expression.

Reporting on such issues has triggered disturbing comments, which could undermine the prestige of the government and business confidence in our country.

Anyone has the right to lodge complaints but these must be carefully weighed instead of spinning issues beyond control. Understandably, unhappy ones take to social media or commenting in portals because they cannot voice their sentiments in mainstream media. Some may want to air their views to exert more control over the process of investigations. However, this is inappropriate given the fact there are avenues for investigations by higher authorities.

That being the case, despite assurances by those parties assigned to get to the heart of 1MDB, there is an unending amplification of the 1MDB issues.

Just wait patiently for them to complete investigations, disclose the findings, and then respond. It is very simple.

HUAN CHENG GUAN is vice-president, Parti Cinta Malaysia.