Rejal, Malaysian journalism's straight arrow

Rejal

When Tokoh Wartawan Negara 2015 Rejal Arbee came over from Bernama to take over from Henry Chang as Editor of the  Business Times in the late 80s, his reputation preceded him. As editor, Rejal was known to be uninterested in office or political intrigues, he stood by his journalists even if he had to stand in the dock, and defended his profession as if his life depended on it. 

Judging by the way he's condemning the Edge's owner over the bribery scandal involving the infamous Justo Andre Xavier, the man hasn't changed a bit.

Justo tainted The Edge’s owner, says national journalism laureate 

BY YISWAREE PALANSAMY

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 30 ― Media owner Datuk Tong Kooi Ong lost the legitimacy to accuse the government of corruption as the basis of his claims was stolen information he obtained by misleading Swiss national Justo Andre Xavier, new national journalism laureate Datuk Ahmad Rejal Arbee (pic) said. 

Ahmad Rejal also dismissed Tong's claim in July this year that he had to misled former PetroSaudi Internationl executive to expose corruption involving 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). 

“The press always talk about corruption but once you join in, what legitimacy is there for you to question? What rights have you got? You yourself do it. 

“Once you try to bribe the people, you flout the law. And for me, for The Edge to do that, I think it was right for the government to pull them out… actually the government should charge them in court,” Ahmad Rejal told Malay Mail Online in an exclusive interview.

On July 27, Tong and Ho Kay Tat, the publisher of The Edge Media Group publicly confessed to cheating Justo over a promised US$2 million (RM7.6 million) payment in return for documents the Swiss man stole from his former employer PetroSaudi. 

Both Tong and Ho insisted they had not tampered with the documents provided by Justo as alleged, and said they have handed an exact copy of the data they obtained to Bank Negara Malaysia, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the police as evidence in the ongoing investigation. 

Shortly after their admission, the Home Ministry suspended printing permits of The Edge Weekly and The Edge Financial Daily on grounds their 1MDB reports are in breach of the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) 1984. 

On September 21,  the Kuala Lumpur High Court quashed the Home Ministry’s three-month suspension order on The Edge Financial Daily and The Edge Weekly over the said reports. 

Yesterday, national news agency Bernama reported that Justo will sue Tong, Ho and Sarawak Report found Clare Rewcastle-Brown to seek the return of the stolen PetroSaudi data. 

A Thai court sentenced Justo to three years in jail on August 17 after he pled guilty to blackmailing his former employer.

p.s. Wonder if the other two living Tokoh Wartawan Negara recipients agree with Rejal ... Read Not all willing to openly agree with Kay Tat's way, The Mole,  22 July 2015