The Society of Publishers in Asia's (Sopa) recognition for The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and its Asian edition economics editor Tom Wright for their investigative reports on the 1MDB scandal is a "slap in the face" of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, says DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang.

"The Sopa awards for WSJ and Tom Wright for their investigative reports on the 1MDB scandal is a slap in the face and as good as an international vote of no confidence in Najib as prime minister," he said in a statement today.

The veteran politician said the recent world recognition for WSJ's reporting on the 1MDB global scandal in Malaysia is another nail in the coffin of Malaysia as the new "kleptocracy" in global society.

Can the world be so wrong on the 1MDB global scandal that those who had consistently exposed the 1MDB scandal since last year like Tom Wright of WSJ and Clare Rewcastle Brown of Sarawak Report are feted world-wide for their exploits, Lim (photo) asked.

What more, he pointed out, that this was accompanied by global crackdowns in connection with multi-billion ringgit 1MDB-lined allegations of embezzlement, money laundering and corruption in Singapore and Switzerland, with ongoing investigations in at least five other countries.

But, on the other hand, Lim pointed out that national institutions in Malaysia, from the prime minister downwards to the cabinet, Parliament, the Public Accounts Committee, the Attorney-General’s Chambers, Bank Negara, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, police, the mainstream media, are eerily silent.

"...(Are they) all acting in concert to try to erect a 'cordon sanitaire' to sweep the global scandals under the carpet in Malaysia?" he asked.

But even if it was so, Lim said that it was a futile effort in today's borderless world where information travels at the speed of light – as futile as King Canute trying to stop the rising of the tide, sniped Lim.

Last night's Sopa Awards 2016 saw the WSJ honoured for its 1MDB scandal exposé, while Wright was named as Journalist of the Year.