News portal Malaysian Insider today denied that it is being funded by former New Straits Times ( NST ) editor-in-chief Kalimullah Hassan.

The online news portal also dismissed any links with the business tycoon.

NONE Yesterday, Jaringan Melayu Malaysia (JMM) president Azwanddin Hamzah ( left in photo ) claimed that Kalimullah was funding The Malaysian Insider via Regalia Solutions, described as a dormant company of Efficent E-Solutions Bhd.

He also accused the news portal of producing articles that attacked the prime minister, Islam and the Malay community.

Malaysian Insider chief executive officer Jahabar Sadiq declined to comment on what he termed as 'vague allegations', stressing that: "We are not the news, we just report the news."

Kalimullah has also previously dismissed any relations with the website.

However, pro-Umno bloggers have been relentless in levelling several allegations against him.

NONE They have accused Kalimullah ( right ) of funding and harbouring fugitive blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin in London, which he has vehemently denied.

Yesterday, JMM demanded that Kalimullah respond to allegations that he had obtained a RM900 million government contract for IT consultancy through ‘coercion'.

Kalimullah was appointed NST group editor-in-chief when former prime minister Abdullah Badawi came into power but stepped down from the post in 2006 and remained as its deputy chairperson until 2008.

A controversial figure, Kalimullah is seen to be closely linked to Abdullah's son Kamaluddin and son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin, who is now Umno Youth chief.