UK firm paid to sanitise Wikipedia, Taib implicated

The scandal this week over the UK public relations giant Bell Pottinger tampering with Wikipedia entries has revealed Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud and his son-in-law Sean Murray as clients, said whistleblower website Sarawak Report.

The firm, reportedly former UK prime minister Margaret Thatcher's favourite agency, was exposed this week for editing Wikipedia entries on their clients' behalf.

According to another newspaper, The Independent's report, the company's operatives were discovered to be responsible for adding in material that smeared Sarawak Report and its founder Clare Rewcastle Brown (left) as well as Radio Free Sarawak.

"The story is splashing around UK newspapers, but is being led by The Independent and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.

"After the details of 10 pseudonyms used by Bell Pottinger to alter information about their clients were released by Wikipedia a few hours ago, it emerged that one of the key users of this service was none other than Taib Mahmud and his son-in-law Sean Murray," said Sarawak Report.

Wikipedia has posted a list of all the entries that the Bell Pottinger pseudonym 'Biggleswick' had tampered with.

According to the site, the list of Wikipedia entries altered' included those on Abdul Taib Mahmud, Sean Murray, Ridgeford Properties, Christopher Murray (Sean's cousin and the director of Ridgeford Properties), Sakto (the Taib family company in Canada), Sarawak, Clare Rewcastle Brown and Radio Station Radio Free Sarawak.

For whom the Bell tolls

According to Sarawak Report, Bell Pottinger was first exposed by personnel of The Bureau of Investigative Journalism posing as potential Uzbekistan clients.

"Bell Pottinger staff were caught on camera saying they would be willing to work on improving the country's image ... They would charge a million pounds a year (RM5 million) or a 100,000 pounds a month.

"At the same time, the company was exposed for bragging that it had special access to UK Prime Minister David Cameron for clients wishing to lobby the British government, which has been hugely embarrassing for the Conservative Party," said the website.

The expose, it says, also contradicts Murray's earlier claim that he had no business links with Taib nor any interest in Sarawak.

"The unfolding Bell Pottinger affair has also highlighted the close working relationship between Taib Mahmud and his family abroad, headed by his key helper, son-in-law Sean Murray.

"It can now be seen that it was Sean Murray's Ridgeford Properties that in fact sealed the retainer with Bell Pottinger earlier this year that then led to all the changes on not only Ridgeford's Wikipedia entry, but also Taib Mahmud's, Sean Murray's, Sakto's, Chris Murray's, Sarawak's and also Clare Rewcastle Brown's websites."

This is the second public relations scandal to dog the three-decade long chief minister after the FBC Media scandal earlier this year that revealed Taib had engaged the company to whitewash his public image abroad.