Information Communication and Culture Minister Dr Rais Yatim said today Broadcasting director-general Ibrahim Yahya would not be left alone to face any legal action from the Penang government.

In fact, he said, he himself would scrutinise the details and points of argument should the officer be sued.

"We will not leave him to fend for himself," he told reporters.

Rais said that based on the system of government, when a minister, secretary-general, director-general or a member of the administration was sued in his official capacity, the government would give appropriate advice and guidance, especially in the legal aspect.

However, he said, if the officers were sued for offences outside of their official capacity, the ministry would not be responsible.

"For example, if an individual is sued for ‘khalwat’ (close proximity), we cannot interfere," he added.

On Tuesday, the Penang government lodged a police report against Ibrahim for an alleged libellous entry entitled ‘Somebody Wants to Jail Me’ on his blog.

‘Nobody knows Ibrahim’

Ng Wei Aik, the political secretary to Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, had lodged the report.

"In his blog, Ibrahim claimed that an employee of the chief minister's office had threatened him but an investigation found that nobody in the chief minister's office knew him," said Ng when filing his report.

Ng, who is also Komtar state assemblyman, said Ibrahim should identify the person said to be an employee of the chief minister's office.

"If the employee exists, then the chief minister will take action but if it is found to be false, then Ibrahim should resign from his post," he said.

- Bernama