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Kuala Lumpur: Human resources minister Steven Sim says he instructed the Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp) to withdraw its letter of demand to The Edge over its reporting on the findings of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the national audit department.

Sim told a press conference at Parliament that he disagreed with HRD Corp taking legal action against the media.

"When I received word of the matter, I instructed HRD Corp to retract (the letter of demand). It was retracted yesterday, even before PAC held a press conference on the matter today," he said

"I believe in press freedom in this country. This has always been my principle."

PAC chairman Mas Ermieyati Samsudin had earlier slammed HRD Corp’s threat to sue The Edge, saying the committee took a serious view of the matter.

She said PAC viewed the threat as an attempt to"put pressure on the media to not publish the committee’s report on HRD Corp".

Yesterday, it was reported that HRD Corp had issued The Edge and one of its writers a letter of demand alleging defamation in their publication of PAC’s findings and the 2024 auditor-general’s report.

According to The Edge, HRD Corp claimed that the company, in two articles, had tarnished its reputation and that of its officials when it "misrepresented" the national audit department’s findings.

One article was titled "PAC flags dubious property deals by HRD Corp" published on July 4, while the second article, published in the July 8 edition of The Edge Malaysia weekly, was titled "Frankly Speaking: Total breach of governance at HRD Corp"

HRD Corp said the articles suggested that it had failed its audit, mishandled its funds, made decisions that did not follow procedures, and failed to protect its own interests to achieve its objectives.

It demanded that the articles be taken down and a formal apology be published in two English dailies and The Edge’s own website within 48 hours of the date of the letter. It also sought damages for the alleged grievances it claimed to have suffered.

The Edge, however, stood by its articles quoting the findings of PAC and the auditor-general, saying it would vigorously defend any suits that HRD Corp might file against it.