DAP slams integrity minister’s silence on The Edge suspensions

© Provided by The Malaysian Insider Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Paul Low is criticised over his silence on Putrajaya's suspension of two newspapers published by The Edge. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, July 25, 2015.Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Paul Low should also be "condemned" and be urged to resign for his silence on the suspensions of The Edge's printing permits, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said today.

"Are the perks and privileges of ministerial office so prized that he is willing to trade in his honour and dignity?" Lim said in a statement today.

Low was previously the president of Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M), a watchdog for transparency, but Lim said Low was now failing to uphold the same standards he had advocated while he was part of the civil society body.

Low is now minister in charge of governance, integrity and human rights.

Earlier today, DAP national publicity bureau chief Tony Pua flayed ministers for not speaking up on the suspensions, saying that they did not care about right or wrong.

Pua took particular aim at Youth and Sports Minister, Khairy Jamaluddin and Pemandu CEO, Datuk Idris Jala.

Lim also called for Idris's resignation today.

The Edge has had the licenses for its weekly and daily suspended following their reportage on alleged wrongdoing by state investment firm 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

Lim urged the Home Ministry to immediately reverse the ban, calling the move "undemocratic".

"Both publications should be lionised and not punished for daring to expose the 1MDB financial scandal based on documentation that other BN-controlled media dare not do," he said.

Lim said the suspensions showed that for the government, publishing exposes was more unacceptable compared to covering up a financial scandal.