TNP report is unfair and mischievous - Lee Lam Thye

“This report is unfair and mischievous”.

That was the comment voiced by Crime Prevention Foundation Vice Chairman, Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye on the news report published by Singapore’s The New Paper (TNP) on ‘Welcome to Malaysia Where.... Death is Cheap and Staying Alive Costly’.

According to Lee, the report is an attempt to put Malaysia in a bad light and not proper.

“Yes they have the freedom to write what they want but we also have the right to reply and to say it is not fair. The report perhaps aims to deter tourists from visiting Malaysia by giving the impression that Malaysia is unsafe,” he added.

Giving the recent incidents on the death of Arab-Malaysian Bank founder Hussain Ahmad Najadi, G. Santhana Samy in Penang and an attempt on MyWatch chairman R. Sri Sanjeevan’s life, Lee said it cannot be denied that it is worrying.

“We are very concern over the incidents but I believe that the authorities are committed in finding the solution. The situation is being dealt by the police and the government and all they need is time in dealing with the issue,” said Lee.

On July 31st, TNP published an article which stated that it only took $2,000 (RM5,000) to hire a hitman.

TNP has since taken down the article from its website as well as its Facebook page.

Recently, TNP editor, Dominic Nathan said it was regrettable that the front-page headline was considered as insulting, according to The Straits Times Singapore.

"It was not our intent. We wanted to draw our readers' attention to the threat of gun violence in Malaysia,” he said, adding that what was reported was also “covered extensively in the Malaysian media”.