Exposing 1MDB’s global links is Sarawak Report’s top agenda now

KUALA LUMPUR — Exposing 1Malaysia Development Bhd’s (1MDB) global links is now Sarawak Report’s focus to get people to better understand what facilitates kleptocracy, said the whistle-blower site’s editor.

Ms Clare Rewcastle-Brown, who was among those who wrote extensively on the debt-laden state investor, said she is now turning her attention to the scandal’s broader spectrum.

“The big moral of all this is what was going on in Malaysia. A corrupt local politician was being facilitated and assisted by major global institutions and the whole financial system,” she told The Malaysian Insight over the weekend.

“And that was wrong. We need to address that, so that people like former prime minister Najib Razak, who were getting away with stuff in countries all over the world, should not be assisted by major banks and all the rest,” said the Sarawak-born writer.

The 1MDB scandal is being investigated in at least six countries, including Malaysia, Singapore, the United States and Switzerland.

US prosecutors last week unveiled criminal charges against two former Goldman Sachs bankers and Malaysian businessman Low Taek Jho for allegedly conspiring to launder money from 1MDB.

However, Ms Rewcastle-Brown said the 1MDB saga is far from over and warned that all parties complicit in the corruption will soon be exposed.

“1MDB was not a Malaysian scandal, it was a global scandal. My message is to tell people that the 1MDB saga has not ended. It is going to get bigger,” she said.

On her efforts to expose the scandal, Ms Rewcastle-Brown said the situation in Malaysia would have been “hopeless” if Barisan Nasional had retained power in the 14th general election and she might have stopped her exposes.

Had he won the elections, Najib would have used the full power of the government to ensure that he would not be legally implicated in the embezzlement of billions through 1MDB, she said.

“I think GE14 was an absolute watershed for everyone because things would have been so dire if Najib had won," Ms Rewcastle-Brown said. “It would have been a hopeless development because he would have clamped down, he would try to protect himself."

“And I don’t know if I would have been able to carry on trying if he had won the elections,” she added.

Like many other campaigners and activists, she knew how high the stakes were in the May 9 elections.

“I think everyone thought the same way, everyone knew just how dangerous the situation was, which was why they turned up with such determination, to do their best to stop it,” she said.

While the GE14 results came as a shock to most people, added Ms Rewcastle-Brown, she admitted that she had always been “annoyingly positive” that Malaysians would one day vote out BN.

“I could see that there was so much energy and passion among people who wanted to see change… and I could say, you can do this.

“I’m terribly pleased I was right.”

GE14 saw BN losing control of the government for the first time in over 60 years. Shortly after being appointed prime minister the second time, Dr Mahathir Mohamad called for investigations into allegations that Najib and several associates were involved in siphoning off funds from the state-owned 1MDB.

Najib is facing 38 counts of criminal breach of trust, money laundering and abuse of power related to 1MDB and affiliated companies. He has denied any wrongdoing. THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT