TV3, Utusan M’sia’s news reports based precisely on Mazlan’s statement — Anwar

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yesterday told the High Court here that news reports on the ‘6,000 mystery letters’ carried by Sistem Televisyen Malaysia (TV3) and Utusan Malaysia were based precisely on a press conference by Datuk Dr Mazlan Ismail.

Continuing his testimony in the trial of his defamation suit against Mazlan, he said the two media organisations produced the news from a statement issued by the former Permatang Pauh Barisan Nasional candidate about his link to a corruption case allegedly involving the judiciary and Attorney General’s Chambers.

Although the reporters did not carry the transcription word for word, they had maintained the gist of it, the former opposition chief said under cross-examination by the defendant’s lawyer Datuk Hasnal Rezua Merican.

Anwar, 67, who is also Pakatan Harapan de facto leader, said the contents of the letters of mystery came to light after it was aired by Buletin Utama TV3 on Aug 2, 2013 and published by Utusan Malaysia on Aug 3, 2013.

He said the news account related to the document meant that the TV3 reporter had access to it.

“But Mazlan said he did not want to have anything to do with it. I am not defending TV3 but it reported the news according to Mazlan’s statement,” said Anwar.

The former Permatang Pauh member of parliament also said police carried out an investigation on the mystery letter leak by Mazlan after he and the late Karpal Singh lodged a police report at Petaling Jaya District Police Headquarters on Aug 4, 2013. - Bernama