Malaysia gov't rejects foreign media reports linking corruption case to PM

The Malaysian government on Wednesday rejected reports by Australian media that allegedly linked a corruption case to Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak.

A statement from the Prime Minister's Office said Najib " totally rejects the baseless smears and insinuations" carried in an article published by The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald, papers owned by Australia's Fairfax Media group, on July 14.

The article, titled "Bribery scandal linked to Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak," touched on contracts awarded to Australian companies to print polymer bank notes for Malaysia, implicating that there were improper dealing between Australian businessmen and middlemen that were allegedly close to Najib, then deputy prime minister.

The Prime Minister's office brushed off the report, saying " there is not one shred of evidence that the prime minister was in any way involved in the case that the courts have already made judgments on, with individuals convicted and punished."

The statement accused the dailies of the "grossly defamatory, and this sly and underhand way of attempting to tarnish the prime minister's name."

It said Najib had instructed his legal counsel to take all action possible against The Age and Sydney Morning Herald.

Najib is under pressure over 1MDB, a state investment firm that was under massive debt. An earlier report by the Wall Street Journal said some 700 million U.S. dollars related to 1MDB had been transferred into Najib's personal account.

Najib has denied taking any public fund for "personal gains," and his legal team is mulling legal action against The Wall Street Journal. Endi