SHAH ALAM, 11 MAR: The Tervino scandal where the Malaysian Government paid writers to attack Opposition Leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is now starting to get wide coverage in the international media.
The latest, a report in ‘The Wall Street Journal’ (Malaysia’s US Propaganda March 7, 2013) joined several other international media in revealing the payment of money by the Malaysian Government to Joshua Trevino, a former speechwriter of US President, George W Bush.
Despite being widespread in the international media, however Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak till now has not given any response on the exposure.
Trevino was also paid to promote Najib’s administration.
PKR Communications Director, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad claims that Trevino was paid US$389,724.70 (RM1,209,511.82) by the Malaysian Government through the pro-Israel APCO Worldwide.
The payment was to praise the ‘wasatiyyah’ or moderation characteristics practiced by Najib’s administration and to tarnish Anwar’s image.
In fact, Trevino was forced to resign as a columnist for a United Kingdom (UK) newspaper, The Guardian, because he did not announce his role as a consultant to FBC Media which is his writing medium to praise Najib.
According to Nik Nazmi, in 2011, Najib admitted that the Malaysian Government paid RM94 million to FBC Media between years 2007 to 2010.
FBC also paid US$70,000 (RM217,770.03) to APCO Worldwide to lobby the US Government on behalf of Najib’s administration.
When the scandal of the payment and organisation of this news was exposed, BBC and CNBC terminated FBC’s contract for breaching journalistic ethics.
With the 13th General Elections (GE-13) around the corner, Najib is urged to immediately provide an explanation regarding the millions of ringgit of public money used for the purpose of propaganda and defamation.
