Financial daily The Edge has been slapped with a show-cause letter by the Home Ministry over its reports on 1MDB.

A Home Ministry official told The Star that the publication was issued with the letter on Monday, days after Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi aired a warning.

Last Wednesday, Zahid said The Edge Media Group owner Tong Kooi Ong ( photo ) should be held responsible for "inaccurate reports" on 1MDB.

The minister said the financial daily should have verified the facts before printing the articles.

Zahid had trained his guns on The Edge following the arrest of PetroSaudi's former staff Xavier Andre Justo in Thailand for allegedly attempting to blackmail his ex-employer.

Malaysiakini has attempted to contact both the ministry and The Edge for their response.

In Malaysia, the government's official narrative was that Justo tampered with PetroSaudi leaked emails to smear 1MDB.

Zahid ( photo ) had also claimed that certain Malaysians had asked Justo to do so, adding that they might be extradited to Thailand if needed to facilitate investigations.

However, whistleblower website Sarawak Report, which had published numerous articles based on the leaked emails, alleged it was an attempt to tarnish Justo to deflect criticism on 1MDB.

Even former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, another staunch critic of 1MDB, had smelled a rat in the Justo saga.

Zahid had accused Sarawak Report as a source of false news, while speculations were also rife as to whether the government would implicate Mahathir as well.