Malaysian Lawmaker In Prison For Disclosing Classified Information

Related stories

Ribadu, CDS Reel Out Laudable Achievements In Addressing Insecurity

The National Security Adviser to the President, Malam Nuhu...

Drama as Senate Insist NNPCL’s led Ojulari Must Explain N210 Trillion Audit Discrepancies

By Hamilton Nwosu  The Nigerian Senate’s Public Accounts Committee has...

2027: SGF Akume Begs Atiku, Kwankwaso, Other Northerners to Defer Ambitions Until 2031

By Hamilton Nwosu Senator George Akume, the Secretary to the...

Egypt’s Growing LNG Imports Could Reshape Global Markets

Egypt turned from a net LNG exporter to a...

Thailand accuses Cambodia of violating hours-old ceasefire

Thailand has accused Cambodia of "deliberately" violating a ceasefire...

BANGKOK — An outspoken member of Malaysia’s Parliament was sentenced on Monday to 18 months in prison for publicly disclosing classified information from an official audit into a scandal-plagued government investment fund.

A lower court ruled that the lawmaker, Rafizi Ramli, was guilty of violating the Official Secrets Act by possessing and publicizing information from the document. Mr. Rafizi, who has served in Parliament since 2013, could also lose his seat and be barred from running for office for five years.

Rights advocates said the prosecution and conviction of a sitting member of Parliament for speaking publicly was unprecedented and was aimed at silencing one of the government’s most vocal critics.

“The 18 months’ imprisonment sentence can only be described as harsh and excessive, all the more so as Rafizi was merely performing his role as an elected representative,” Lawyers for Liberty, a Malaysian human rights organization, said in a statement. “The conviction and sentence will create a dangerous chill on free speech and result in a more repressive, opaque and unaccountable government.”

Mr. Rafizi, a member of the People’s Justice Party, has been a leading critic of Prime Minister Najib Razak, who is accused of receiving $1 billion from 1 Malaysia Development Berhad, a government investment fund that Mr. Najib established and oversaw. Mr. Najib has said that he never received any money from the fund or took anything for personal gain.

The United States Justice Department says that more than $3 billion is missing from the fund and that at least $731 million of it was deposited into the personal bank account of the prime minister, identified as “Malaysian Official 1.” The Justice Department filed suit in federal court in California in July to recover more than $1 billion in assets that it said were acquired by Mr. Najib’s stepson and close associates in the United States with money stolen from the fund, including high-end real estate and expensive artwork.

The prime minister has held on to power by firing critics within his own government, blocking investigations and suppressing dissent. No one in Malaysia has been prosecuted over the missing money.

The government conducted an audit of the investment fund, which it then classified as secret under the Official Secrets Act. Mr. Rafizi’s conviction was based on comments he made at a news conference in March in which he discussed a page of the audit that dealt with the fund’s failure to make payments.

Around the time of his sentencing, Mr. Rafizi posted on Twitter: “I am not shocked, sad, angry, afraid or anything. No such feelings. Just another day. Been like this. What doesn’t kill u makes u stronger.” He did not respond to requests for comment, but associates said they expected him to appeal.

Cynthia Gabriel, director of the Center to Combat Corruption & Cronyism, based in Malaysia, questioned the purpose of having an audit if the findings were to be kept secret.

“The Official Secrets Act is being used to hide corruption,” she said. “We need freedom of information laws to help the public monitor and bring to account powerful politicians and businesses.”

The prime minister’s office defended the prosecution of Mr. Rafizi by saying that he broke the law to make a political point and wanted to become a “political martyr.”

“He tried a cheap stunt for personal political gain, but he knowingly committed a serious crime in doing so,” said Abdul Rahman Dahlan, a minister in the office. “It is right that he pays the price — and he has only himself to blame.”

Opponents of the prime minister plan to hold a rally on Saturday in Kuala Lumpur, the capital. A similar event last year drew as many as 100,000 people, most wearing yellow T-shirts with the slogan, “Bersih,” or “clean” in Malay, despite a government ban on the garments. A court later upheld the prohibition on the grounds that the shirts posed a threat to national security.

Maria Chin Abdullah, a leader of the Bersih movement, said the Official Secrets Act gives the prime minister extraordinary power to suppress potentially damaging information.

“The act vests vast powers in the hands of the executive to conceal key information from public access and to decide on what constitutes ‘official secrets,’ which cannot be challenged in court on any grounds,” she said.

Phil Robertson, deputy director of the Asia division of Human Rights Watch, said the conviction went further than the government’s previous steps to block criticism.

“This prosecution really is unprecedented because it involves a sitting MP, and the content is the Auditor General’s annual report, which prior to this year has regularly been released to the public after being introduced in Parliament,” he said.

The New York Times
The New York Times
Hamilton Nwosa is an experienced, and committed communication, business, administrative, data and research specialist . His deep knowledge of the intersection between communication, business, data, and journalism are quite profound. His passion for professional excellence remains the guiding principle of his work, and in the course of his career spanning sectors such as administration, tourism, business management, communication and journalism, Hamilton has won key awards. He is a delightful writer, researcher and data analyst. He loves team-work, problem-solving, organizational management, communication strategy, and enjoys travelling. He can be reached at: hamilton_68@yahoo.com

Subscribe

- Never miss a story with notifications

- Gain full access to our premium content

- Browse free from up to 5 devices at once

Latest stories

NDN
Latest News
Ribadu, CDS Reel Out Laudable Achievements In Addressing InsecurityDrama as Senate Insist NNPCL's led Ojulari Must Explain N210 Trillion Audit Discrepancies2027: SGF Akume Begs Atiku, Kwankwaso, Other Northerners to Defer Ambitions Until 2031Egypt’s Growing LNG Imports Could Reshape Global MarketsThailand accuses Cambodia of violating hours-old ceasefire(VIDEO) Anxities as Ghanaians Ask Nigerians to leave Ghana in Viral VideoPeter Obi Warns, Says FG's Borrowing 'll Mortgage Nigerians future, debt Nearing ₦200 TrillionTinubu’s $3m Cash Reward to Super Falcons is Profligacy By Yemi AdebowaleArtificial Intelligence and God’s Plan for Humanity: A Case for Hope, Progress, and PurposeWhen Will This Call to Service End? By Johnson Babalola(VIDEO) Why I Didn’t Watch WAFCON Final– Tinubu Reveals God says, let there be movement, Nigeria Police says no! By Owei LakemfaOil Prices Climb as U.S. and EU Reach Historic Tariff AgreementBreaking! Tinubu Bestows National Honours on Super FalconsEkiti Guber: Fayose Backs Oyebanji, As Ekiti topshots throw Weight Behind State Governor's Re-Election 
X whatsapp