Malaysia silences 1MDB whistleblower in blow to rights
A chorus of international outrage was struck immediately after the sentencing of opposition politician Rafizi Ramli for disclosing part of the Auditor General’s report into the 1MDB corruption scandal, which has severely damaged Malaysia’s reputation in business and politics. London based Amnesty International immediately called for the 18 month sentence to be quashed, arguing Rafizi had acted in the public interest by bringing to light information about one of the biggest corruption scandals in Malaysia’s recent history. “By invoking the Official Secrets Act, the Malaysian authorities are yet again taking the cover of national security to stop people from raising legitimate questions about the 1MDB funds and obstructing the society from receiving such information,” said Josef Benedict, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for South East Asia and the Pacific. Rafizi was convicted under the Official Secrets Act of 1972, the latest episode in a scandal that has overwhelmed Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak. The Bersih pro-democracy rally planned for this Saturday is expected champion Rafizi’s cause. On March 24, 2016, at a press conference Rafizi publicized a page of the Auditor General’s report into the 1MDB corruption scandal. He was detained in early April, charged, and now sentenced, by judge Zulqarnain Hassan, for possessing a confidential
government document and presenting it to journalists.
