Harakah in its defence against a defamation suit by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak said dealings by 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) is a matter of public interest and therefore worthy of news coverage.

The PAS party organ is facing a defamation suit from Najib over their reports on 1MDB.

Harakah managing director Rosli Yaakop ( right ) and editor Taufek Yahya said their publication has an interest and obligation to write about any alleged mishandling of 1MDB and the purported links to Najib because it is about how public money is being managed.

“It had become a public interest matter and as taxpayers and voters, we have an interest in the management of the 1MDB finances and its relations with Najib,” the Harakah duo stated in their defence.

The two submitted their statement at the Kuala Lumpur High Court yesterday where they cited qualified privilege as a defence.

Najib filed the defamation suit on March 18, following Harakah's write-up on 1MDB which also linked it to the prime minister's stepson Riza Aziz.

The PM alleged that the said article contained words which referred to him with malicious intent - that he had abused the fund belonging to 1MDB.

Najib claimed that following the publication of the article, his reputation had been affected and he was criticised in social media with various accusations which were insulting and shameful.

Harakah further states in their statement of defence that they cited The New York Times (NYT) article titled 'Jho Low well connected in Malaysia, has an appetite for New York', where it quoted sources from politicians in the government and opposition as the basis of the article.

The NYT article puts in detail the transactions between Jho Low and Riza, and raised the issue of his wealth.

Even Mahathir raised the issue

The two further said that even former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad had brought up the same issues raised in the NYT in his blog.

Mahathir ( right ), they said, directly referred to the NYT article in his blog posting dated April 14 this year.

Former New Straits Times Sdn Bhd group editor-in-chief A Kadir Jasin also cited the NYT article in his blog, they added.

At the time of writing their defence, Rosli and Taufek said there has been no denial made by PM on the NYT article.

They said the people are being "kept in the dark” as the article cited the PM, his family and Jho Low.

As the PM and Finance Minister, Najib, claimed the Harakah duo, is directly involved in 1MDB, where he is also the chairperson of the board of advisers.

The 1MDB has become a public issue often raised in Parliament and Najib himself had directed the Auditor-General to investigate the sovereign fund, their defence stated.

Najib's siblings had on Feb 24 denied the wealth that the PM gained was from their late father Abdul Razak Hussein, who was the second prime minister, they said in the defence document.

Hence, Harakah 's Rosli and Taufek also raised the defence of fair comment in publishing the 1MDB article.

Today was fixed for case management of the suit, and the next case management is fixed on May 28.