KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 (Reuters) - Malaysia's prime minister said a suspect in an alleged plot to topple the government had engaged an international public relations firm to launch a coordinated attack aimed at undermining national institutions before the next election.
Police said last week they were investigating an alleged conspiracy to "sabotage national stability", under laws against undermining parliamentary democracy.
In an address to parliament on Tuesday, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim provided further details of the alleged plot, saying the suspect had engaged the PR firm as part of a response to being the subject of a large-scale graft investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
Neither Anwar, nor the police, have identified the individual suspect or the PR firm.
Anwar said the PR strategy, which began in August 2024 and included engaging media agencies, banks, and lawmakers, was to run until the next general election, due by early 2028.
"Their strategy... was to contact all foreign media with a strategy of undermining the government's efforts, especially the MACC's," Anwar told parliament, citing documents obtained by authorities.
"And then to use their power and contacts in foreign countries to shape a narrative questioning the authority of the Malaysian government and organise a movement through the Malaysian parliament. That is what worries us."
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Anwar said documents identified media firm Bloomberg as one of the agencies targeted by the alleged conspiracy.
A Bloomberg spokesperson did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment on Anwar's remarks.
A special government committee is conducting a separate investigation into allegations in a Bloomberg report last month that head of MACC, Azam Baki, may have breached shareholding laws.
Azam has said he is willing to be investigated as he had "nothing to hide" and all his financial declarations have been made according to public service laws.
Lawmakers, including a key party in Anwar's ruling coalition, have called for a royal inquiry into another Bloomberg article alleging broader misconduct at the anti-graft agency.
The MACC has said the allegations were "baseless", and that they were an attempt to discredit its investigations and enforcement actions within the corporate sector.
On Tuesday, Anwar said a royal inquiry into the matter was "premature" as the special committee was expected to complete its probe this week.
(Reporting by Rozanna Latiff; Editing by Neil Fullick)
Since Kelly Clarkson was named the first-ever "American Idol" winner on Sept. 4, 2002, the singing competition show has helped launch the careers of Billboard-charting artists, singers who have helped define their genre, daytime TV personalities and precisely one EGOT winner (we're looking at you, J Hud).
23. Lee DeWyze (2010): Despite his affable personality and gruff coffeehouse croon, DeWyze lacked the undeniable spark and grit of Crystal Bowersox, the Janis Joplin incarnate who outrageously only placed second that season." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
21. Laine Hardy (2019): The Louisiana native, who in 2022 was arrested and charged with secretly recording an ex-girlfriend, rose through the "Idol" ranks with his Elvis Presley-style croon and stage persona.
19. Taylor Hicks (2006): Given the top three talent pool of Season 5 – which also included Katharine McPhee and Elliott Yamin – it's still a bit stunning that the overwrought Alabamian prevailed. But the "Soul Patrol" proved a mighty engine and Hicks successfully parlayed his win into a platinum-selling self-titled debut album in 2006, a Broadway stint and tour (playing the Teen Angel in "Grease") and a modest residency in Las Vegas." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
18. Kris Allen (2009): Some were shocked when the innocuous Allen triumphed over the bold flamboyance of Adam Lambert during Season 8 of "Idol" – not that it hindered Lambert's future. But more than Allen's couple of hits ("No Boundaries," "Live Like We're Dying"), his win ushered in the era of nondescript male singer-songwriters armed with guitars and crooked grins." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
17. Trent Harmon (2016): Harmon's boyish face and soft-spoken demeanor masked a deceptively brawny set of pipes, which were put to best use on an enchanting cover of Sia's "Chandelier." Harmon signed to Big Machine Records (Taylor Swift's former label) post-"Idol," finding minor success on the country charts with singles "Falling" and "There's a Girl."" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
15. Caleb Johnson (2014): Johnson was the typically staid competition's closest answer to Whitesnake and AC/DC, with squalling vocals and head-banging dynamism that have made him a hit with the legacy rock crowd in the years since his victory, touring with Trans-Siberian Orchestra and taking over singing duties from Neverland Express, the touring band of the late Meat Loaf." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
13. Phillip Phillips (2012): A soft-spoken guitar strummer who in his pre-"Idol" life worked at his family's pawn shop in Leesburg, Georgia, Phillips earned a significant bona fide: His coronation song, the Dave Matthews Band-esque "Home," is the bestselling single in the show's history, with more than 5 million sold. A spate of other hits ("Raging Fire," "Gone, Gone, Gone") preserved his momentum." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
10. Nick Fradiani (2015): It felt like the buff singer was the next breakout star after his victory song, the catchy singalong "Beautiful Life," dented the charts. But his 2016 debut album, "Hurricane," fared poorly and an independently released EP in 2017, "Where We Left Off," also failed to produce liftoff.
9. Jamal Roberts (2025): His room-brightening smile and cool style were instantly appealing magnets, but the P.E. teacher from Mississippi truly captured hearts and votes with his creamy voice, an instrument that can soar through soul ballads and dig into gritty gospel with equal potency.
8. Scotty McCreery (2011): The resident male country star to graduate from the "Idol" laboratory – like Season 6 winner Jordin Sparks, at only 17 – the North Carolina native with a molasses-hued voice that belies his unassuming demeanor remains a prominent chart presence more than a decade after his Season 10 win.
7. Candice Glover (2013): Whether she was covering Ben E. King, Aretha Franklin, or The Cure (on tearful standout "Lovesong"), the Beaufort, South Carolina, native brought unmatched vulnerability and powerhouse vocals to every single performance. Her recording career post-"Idol," too, is filled with stirring ballads that have been sadly ignored by radio." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
6. David Cook (2008): With his pleasantly raspy voice and a knack for melody and unearthing lesser-known versions of hits to cover on the show (e.g., Whitesnake's "Day Tripper," Chris Cornell's "Billie Jean"), the Season 7 winner – over angelic David Archuleta – skyrocketed to success.
5. Ruben Studdard (2003): Studdard's smooth, velvety vocals were the perfect complement to runner-up Clay Aiken's earnest pop theatrics, with standout performances of Stevie Wonder and Dionne Warwick classics, and a respectable career as a gospel/R&B hitmaker in years to follow." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
4. Jordin Sparks (2007): The show's youngest winner at 17 (by two months compared to McCreery), the sweet-smiling Sparks found immediate success a few months after her victory with a pair of Billboard top 10 hits: "Tattoo" and "No Air," her duet with a pre-scandal Chris Brown. Broadway ("In the Heights") and film ("Sparkle") expanded Sparks' reach, but in recent years she's concentrated more on motherhood with a few career moves – the 2020 holiday album "Cider & Hennessey," her 2021 participation in "The Masked Dancer" – sprinkled in. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
3. Fantasia Barrino (2004): Barrino's sultry, soulful rendition of George Gershwin's "Summertime" might be the all-time greatest performance to ever hit the "Idol" stage. The R&B artist's elastic vocals and deep well of emotion have continued to serve her well, as she reprised her role as Celie from the Broadway musical "The Color Purple" for the star-studded movie adaptation." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
2. Carrie Underwood (2005): It feels like 100 lifetimes ago that a pouffy-haired Underwood blasted us off our couches with her rendition of Heart's "Alone" during her Season 4 run to the top.
1. Kelly Clarkson (2002): The Texas native is so effortlessly charming and in control of her instrument, with an outsized personality and even larger voice that bring all the ferocity and drama you want from a top 40 hit (of which she has nearly two dozen). Frankly, our lives would suck without Clarkson, who is the brightest star "Idol" has – and will likely ever produce." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
