KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 (Reuters) – Malaysia’s prime minister said a suspect in an alleged plot to topple the government had engaged an international public relations firm to launch a coordinated attack aimed at undermining national institutions before the next election.
Police said last week they were investigating an alleged conspiracy to “sabotage national stability”, under laws against undermining parliamentary democracy.
In an address to parliament on Tuesday, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim provided further details of the alleged plot, saying the suspect had engaged the PR firm as part of a response to being the subject of a large-scale graft investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
Neither Anwar, nor the police, have identified the individual suspect or the PR firm.
Anwar said the PR strategy, which began in August 2024 and included engaging media agencies, banks, and lawmakers, was to run until the next general election, due by early 2028.
“Their strategy… was to contact all foreign media with a strategy of undermining the government’s efforts, especially the MACC’s,” Anwar told parliament, citing documents obtained by authorities.
“And then to use their power and contacts in foreign countries to shape a narrative questioning the authority of the Malaysian government and organise a movement through the Malaysian parliament. That is what worries us.”
Anwar said documents identified media firm Bloomberg as one of the agencies targeted by the alleged conspiracy.
A Bloomberg spokesperson did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment on Anwar’s remarks.
A special government committee is conducting a separate investigation into allegations in a Bloomberg report last month that head of MACC, Azam Baki, may have breached shareholding laws.
Azam has said he is willing to be investigated as he had “nothing to hide” and all his financial declarations have been made according to public service laws.
Lawmakers, including a key party in Anwar’s ruling coalition, have called for a royal inquiry into another Bloomberg article alleging broader misconduct at the anti-graft agency.
The MACC has said the allegations were “baseless”, and that they were an attempt to discredit its investigations and enforcement actions within the corporate sector.
On Tuesday, Anwar said a royal inquiry into the matter was “premature” as the special committee was expected to complete its probe this week.
(Reporting by Rozanna Latiff; Editing by Neil Fullick)
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