detained malaysian lawyer on hunger strike over pm graft scandal
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today
Arab Today, arab today
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today

Detained Malaysian lawyer on hunger strike over PM graft scandal

Arab Today, arab today

Arab Today, arab today Detained Malaysian lawyer on hunger strike over PM graft scandal

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak
Kuala Lumpur - AFP

A detained Malaysian lawyer has gone on a hunger strike after being arrested over his involvement in efforts to expose a scandal rocking Prime Minister Najib Razak's government.

Matthias Chang was arrested on Thursday under a tough domestic security law that allows detention for up to a month without trial.

Chang had been representing Khairuddin Abu Hassan, a former ruling party member who was detained last month under the same security law after he launched a global campaign to highlight alleged graft by Najib.

Chang released a statement calling his and Khairuddin's arrests "a heinous tactic" to silence those speaking out "against the tyranny and corruption of the Najib regime", and announced he had begun refusing food.

He is also a former political secretary to Mahathir Mohamad, Malaysia's premier from 1981 to 2003, who has led calls for Najib to be investigated.

Najib faces mounting calls to explain massive sums of money allegedly missing from a state-owned development company he launched, as well as the sensational revelation in July that nearly $700 million in mysterious transfers had been made to his personal bank accounts.

The pressure grew this week, with Malaysia's nine state sultans issuing a rare joint statement on Wednesday saying the scandal had created a "crisis of confidence", and calling for a full investigation.

Both Najib and the state-owned development company, 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), vehemently deny any wrongdoing.

Inquiries have been hobbled, however, with Najib firing his attorney general in July, and police raiding the offices of the country's anti-corruption agency in August.

Khairuddin, aided by Chang, had visited authorities in several countries to call for investigations into the cross-border money flows.

Regulators in the United States and elsewhere are now reportedly scrutinising the affair, with authorities in Switzerland and Singapore saying they had frozen some accounts as they probe possible money-laundering and other crimes.

Najib's allies say the money deposited into his accounts was "political donations" from Middle Eastern sources, but have refused to provide details.

Rights and legal groups have harshly criticised the arrests of Khairuddin and Chang under the Special Offences (Special Measures) Act (Frankfurt: 0LW.F - news) , which Najib's government had passed with a promise it would not be used against political opponents.

Malaysia Bar Council President Steven Thiru said the bar was "absolutely appalled and outraged" over the arrests

arabstoday
arabstoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

detained malaysian lawyer on hunger strike over pm graft scandal detained malaysian lawyer on hunger strike over pm graft scandal

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

detained malaysian lawyer on hunger strike over pm graft scandal detained malaysian lawyer on hunger strike over pm graft scandal

 



GMT 11:28 2017 Saturday ,15 April

President Al-Bashir's visit to Kuwait and Bahrain

GMT 07:51 2017 Sunday ,26 November

HRH Crown Prince condoles with Egyptian President

GMT 14:35 2018 Friday ,12 October

Bahrain's media history documentation hailed

GMT 11:45 2017 Friday ,29 December

10 bodies found in mass grave in Myanmar

GMT 08:44 2016 Monday ,19 December

Hopeless Afghan struggle to save boy sex slaves

GMT 15:15 2013 Friday ,05 July

I breathe freedom in Jordan

GMT 12:55 2016 Sunday ,18 December

Kerry in likely last visit with Saudi king

GMT 05:49 2017 Wednesday ,24 May

Indian police make arrests after mobs lynch 8

GMT 12:12 2017 Sunday ,19 February

More South Sudanese officials quit unity gov't

GMT 09:25 2017 Wednesday ,09 August

Ghada Abdel Raziq prefers exciting drama

GMT 15:03 2017 Saturday ,14 October

HM King congratulates French President
Arab Today, arab today
 
 Arab Today Facebook,arab today facebook  Arab Today Twitter,arab today twitter Arab Today Rss,arab today rss  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
arabstoday, Arabstoday, Arabstoday