THE Edge Media Group owner Tong Kooi Ong has denied claims of involvement in a political conspiracy to topple former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak, which were made in journalist Leslie Lopez’s new book, “The Siege Within”.

In a recent opinion piece published in the business daily, Tong denied the allegations made by Lopez who claimed that Tong and The Edge Media Group CEO Ho Kay Tat were involved in a conspiracy to use the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal to undermine Najib.

Tong clarified that The Edge’s newsroom first uncovered the 1MDB scandal in late 2012 and began investigating questionable transactions related to the sovereign fund in early 2013, well before Lopez’s articles. He further alleged that in 2014, fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho (Jho Low) sent a message through Lopez, urging The Edge to cease its inquiries into 1MDB.

Tong highlighted the significant role of Najib’s brother, Tan Sri Nazir Razak, in exposing the scandal. He urged readers to consider The Edge’s own publication on the matter for a more accurate narrative.

“We knew Leslie (Lopez) had been in close contact with Low, which is not a bad thing if it is to be used as a source of information.

“But Low was the principal actor in the scam and a compulsive liar who was also brazenly throwing money at people whom he felt would be of use to him, as court cases in Malaysia and the US, and other documentary evidence have shown,” Tong wrote.

The Edge then parted with Lopez, who was given a generous payout for his contributions to the company.

Tong claimed that Lopez went around rubbishing The Edge’s reports about 1MDB following the separation.

“We chose to ignore it. We were, after all, good friends and it is rare to have amicable partings, so Ho and I took it as part of life’s journey.

“Hence, it was very painful to read the untruths and allegations Leslie (Lopez) made in his book ‘The Siege Within’ about us – that we were part of a group of conspirators who weaponised 1MDB to topple Najib because he did not give me a daily newspaper licence.” – Oct 12, 2024

https://focusmalaysia.my/1mdb-media-group-owner-denies-political-conspiracy-against-najib/