KUALA LUMPUR – Reuters has denied claims it reported Malaysia as the first country in Southeast Asia to be listed by the United States as a state sponsor of terrorism.
“Any claims that Reuters reported that Malaysia is the first country in Southeast Asia to be listed by the United States as a state sponsor of terror are false. Reuters did not report this,” the news agency said in a statement on X that was also issued through Bernama.
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil also posted Reuters’ denial on X, which he said was in response to a viral message.
Fahmi added it was untrue that Malaysia had been sanctioned by Washington and he had confirmed this with the US embassy in Kuala Lumpur.
“Based on the Reuters press team’s denial on X, and on the confirmation that I received from the US embassy, I can confirm that the viral message is fake,” the government spokesman said.
Fahmi’s post was attached to what appears to be a screenshot of a message on a chat platform. The message is dated May 10 and is attributed to Reuters. It claims that the US has imposed sanctions on four Malaysia-based companies, thus making the country the first in Southeast Asia “to be listed as a state sponsor of terror”.
The message also claims that this development follows the visit of US State Department officials here.
Reuters had reported last Saturday on a planned visit by US Treasury officials – under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, Brian Nelson, and general counsel Neil MacBride – to Malaysia this week for talks on stopping the flow of funds to Iran for its drone programme.
The newswire service had reported in December last year about US Treasury sanctions on four Malaysia-based companies believed to be fronts that supported the programme.
On Tuesday, Nelson was reported saying that Iran was reliant on Malaysia-based service providers to move its oil throughout the region. Washington is also trying to prevent Malaysia from being used by Hamas to fundraise and move money, he had said.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has said he met with Nelson and reiterated Malaysia’s stand of only recognising sanctions by the UN Security Council, and not unilateral sanctions. – May 11, 2024