PUTRAJAYA, March 4 — Malaysiakini journalist B. Nantha Kumar was released this afternoon after being held in remand for four days over allegations of bribery.
Nantha was arrested last Friday on suspicion of receiving RM20,000 from an agent dealing with foreign workers, purportedly in exchange for not publishing two articles exposing a cartel.
According to Malaysiakini he walked out of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters here at 3pm.
He was accompanied by his wife and Malaysiakini executive editor RK Anand, who posted RM10,000 bail for him.
Nantha has been with Malaysiakini for seven years, producing in-depth reports on immigration syndicates, including those involving the Immigration Department.
Malaysiakini said it is taking the allegations seriously and has launched a thorough internal inquiry.
“Since joining Malaysiakini in 2018, Nantha has been an outstanding journalist, producing numerous exclusives that have made headlines. His fearless reporting on syndicates linked to migrant workers has been instrumental in exposing critical issues.
“Given his track record, we find these allegations difficult to comprehend,” it said in the report.
The online news portal reaffirmed its commitment to journalistic integrity, transparency, and ethical reporting, adding that the inquiry will align with its principles of accountability and fairness.
Malaysiakini also called on authorities to protect whistleblowers connected to Nantha’s investigations, some of whom are believed to hold high positions in the Immigration Department.
