Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

"Malaysians' corruption covered up

Correction: Tengku Razaleigh

Monday 09 October 1995 23:02 BST
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

On 5 February 1994, the Independent published an article headed "Malaysians' corruption covered up" containing a number of statements and insinuations about Tengku Razaleigh Ham-zah, the former Minister of Finance of Malaysia. The article quoted a letter purportedly from George Tan, chairman of Carrian, a Hong Kong company, in which he wrote to Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah saying he was making 25 million shares in Carrian available to him.

Our report was based on information which at the time we had no reason to doubt. We now accept that Tengku Razaleigh does not know George Tan and had never been offered 25 million shares in Carrian. We are now satisfied that the allegations of corruption, in so far as they reflected upon Tengku Razaleigh, are unfounded and that he is a highly respected senior politician in Malaysia.

If any reader may have drawn the impression from our article that it was intended to suggest that Tengku Razaleigh was connected, either directly or indirectly, with the death of Jalil Ibrahim, a bank auditor who had made inquiries into the ownership of the shares, this is very much regretted and was not intended.

We apologise unreservedly to Tengku Razaleigh for any distress or embarrassment caused by our article.

The settlement of Tengku Razaleigh's action against the Independent was the subject of a statement in the High Court yesterday in which we agreed to pay him a substantial sum by way of compensation and his costs.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in