Good morning. Recently a motion was submitted to the UK Parliament on 1MDB which reads as follows:
1MALAYSIA DEVELOPMENT BERHAD
Session: 2017-19
Date tabled: 18.07.2017
Primary sponsor: Clwyd, Ann
Sponsors: That this House is alarmed about allegations of the misappropriation of billions of dollars from the 1Malaysia Development Berhad, a state-owned investment firm intended to promote economic development in Malaysia, including by the current Malaysian Prime Minister, Najib Razak; notes related on-going investigations in a number of countries, including the US and Switzerland; further notes the statement by the FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, in connection with the largest single action so far by the US Department of Justice’s Kleptocracy Asset Initiative, that the Malaysian people were defrauded on an enormous scale; highlights the continuing restrictions on freedom of expression and of association in Malaysia, as well as the misuse of the Sedition Act, targeted particularly at Government critics, including opposition politicians and MPs, such as Anwar Ibrahim, jailed following legal proceedings which fell far short of international standards, and Rafizi Ramli MP; encourages the Government of Malaysia to allow international observers, including from a range of Commonwealth countries, at its upcoming General Elections, to demonstrate its commitment to free and fair elections, particularly given Malaysia will be taking up the Chair-in-Office of the Commonwealth in 2020; and calls on the Government to ensure that allegations of misappropriated funds from Malaysia having been used to by assets in the UK is thoroughly investigated.
Essentially, the motion calls for a debate on 1MDB in UK Parliament. If the debate proceeds and is passed, then the UK government will be obliged to start investigations on assets and properties in the UK bought with stolen 1MDB money.
The motion is presented by the Right Honourable Ann Clwyd, chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party and chair of the All Party Parliamentary Human Rights Group. It is now essential to start lobbying to get MP signatures in support of the motion. So if you are a Malaysian currently in UK, you can call, email or write to your local UK MP and ask the MP to sign and support the motion.
YB Rafizi Ramli and I actually met Ann Clwyd in the UK Parliament last year and we discussed 1MDB and various human rights issues. She was particularly interested in the subject matter of London properties being bought by oligarchs, kleptocrats and dictators.
