KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 17 — Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said he had no role in the formal request for the Malaysiakini news portal to remove two items alleging corruption in the Sabah government.

He also said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) was responding to law enforcement when it issued the request.

"These requests were made by police, so as not to interfere with ongoing investigations. Not from me or my deputy (Teo Nie Ching),” he was quoted as saying by Malaysiakini.

Earlier today, Malaysiakini said the regulator requested it remove a video in which Tempasuk assemblyman Datuk Mohd Arsad Bistari alleged of political interference in a RM70 million project and an accompanying article.

The MCMC reportedly said both items could potentially affect police investigations into alleged death threats made against the person shown in the video and violate his privacy.

Malaysiakini said the MCMC only specified the video and not three others that were also related.

Yesterday, Arsad reportedly alleged that the videos had been manipulated to create a malicious interpretation of his remarks, which he claimed to not have their direct meaning.