The NGO Pertubuhan Minda Sosial dan Prihatin (PMSP has lodged a police report against three online news portals over their reporting of its press conference with private investigator P Balasubramaniam's widow, A Santamil Selvi.

PMSP deputy president and legal advisor Zakwan Hafiz Ahmad Ansari said this is because the portals published reports alleging that PMSP had bribed Selvi into apologising to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his family.

“In the headlines published in the news portals, PMSP finds that it is a slanderous and seditious allegation towards a pro-government NGO.

“They had used the word 'bribe', so the word needs to be evaluated and studied to see if it is suitable to be used,” he told a press conference in Petaling Jaya today.

The portals are Malaysia Chronicle , Says.com , and Sarawak Report .

During the Saturday press conference , Selvi started by apologising to Najib and his family over her and her late-husband's actions in relation to the murder of the Mongolian national Altantuya Shaaribuu.

Balasubramaniam, better known as PI Bala, had previously made a statutory declaration (SD) in 2003 implicating Najib in the murder, which Najib had strongly denied.

The private eye also made a second SD recanting the first SD on the following day and fled the country, but he returned in 2013 to reaffirm that his first SD was true. He died of a heart attack shortly after his return.

When pressed by reporters, however, Selvi said she merely wanted to apologise to Najib's wife Rosmah Mansor for having misspoken in an emotional outburst shortly after her husband's death.

She had then accused Rosmah of being responsible for Bala's death from a heart attack.

‘Selvi contacted Ramesh’

Zakwan lodged his police report in Petaling Jaya last night, claiming that the articles were confusing and its allegations were absolutely untrue.

In his police report, copies of which were distributed to the media, Zakwan said Selvi had approached PMSP on her own accord to ask for help with her children's education, after aid from the opposition did not materialise.

“PMSP absolutely did not instruct Selvi to make any open apology to Najib and his family, regarding slander by Selvi that 'Najb and Rosmah killed my husband'. The statement of public apology was her of her own volition,” said Zakwan in the police report.

The police reports were lodged by Zakwan in Petaling Jaya last night.

Zakwan explained the screenshot of text message correspondence published by Sarawak Report was genuine, and was between Selvi’s daughter and Americk Sidhu, who had acted for Bala.

While acknowledging that the screenshot give the appearance that BN had made an offer to Selvi, Zakwan stressed it was Selvi approached PSMP chief Ramesh Rao for help.

“Whoever reads the message but doesn't know (its context) would assume it is indeed BN making the offer.

“The question now is, who was the first to get in touch with Ramesh Rao? That is the question. Was it Ramesh Rao who initiated contact with PI Bala's widow, or PI Bala's widow herself contacted Ramesh Rao?

“I want to state that we can show records to the authorities that it was PI Bala's widow herself who contacted Ramesh Rao,” he said.

Still raising funds for Selvi

Zakwan added that PMSP is still evaluating Selvi's financial position in order to raise funds for her.

The group estimates that she would require between RM80,000 and RM100,000, of which about RM20,000 is to fund the tertiary education of two of her children.

The remaining sum is yet to be fully determined, but is comprised of interest to be repaid for RM50,000 worth of jewellery that had been pawned, as well as loans from a number of loan sharks.

Zakwan said PMSP is hoping to raise about RM50,000 to RM60,000 for her, and will be holding a ceremony to pass her a mock cheque sometime next week.

Asked how the funds would be raised, Zakwan said several PMSP members are businesspersons who can contribute with their personal funds, including himself.

Other PMSP members can assist as well, and the group has also launched a public appeal for donations via its Facebook page.

In addition, he said PMSP had previously ran a petition campaign on issues affecting the Indian Malaysian community, which has garnered some 32,000 supporters.

The group now intends to approach these supporters to solicit for donations for Selvi and her family.

“If each person contributes RM5, multiply by 32,000 and how much can you get? Even if only RM1, it is enough.

“So we can help her. It's nothing like what outsiders claim, who assume that the money come from the prime minister or BN. I'm not a BN member, Umno member, nor a politician.

“It's got nothing to do with politics. I'm just doing my part,” he said.

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