PetroSaudi, backed by oil and gas assets said to be worth $1.5bn, takes 60 percent in the business. September 2009ġMDB signs a deal with PetroSaudi International to set up a joint venture company and invests $1bn cash for a 40 percent stake. The fund is wholly owned by the government of Malaysia and Najib is chairman of its board of advisers. Then prime minister and finance minister Najib launches 1MDB, a “strategic development company driving new ideas and new sources of growth”. Here is a timeline of some major developments in the scandal.
#Sarawak report trial#
Najib, the son of the country’s second prime minister, is the first Malaysian leader ever to go on trial for corruption in the country.Īn arrest warrant has been issued for Jho Low, the elusive Malaysian financier at the centre of the 1MDB allegations, as well as for others believed to have been involved.
#Sarawak report movie#
The fund’s business is under investigation in at least six countries over allegations that billions of dollars were siphoned off to buy luxury property, designer jewellery and art, and to fund the Hollywood movie Wolf of Wall Street.
#Sarawak report series#
The IFJ calls for the immediate dissolution of all charges against Rewcastle-Brown and calls on the Malaysian government to cease using harassment and intimidation tactics towards journalists and whistle-blowers.Malaysia is awaiting the verdict in the first of a series of cases charging former prime minister Najib Razak with corruption over his alleged involvement in the scandal at 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), a state fund that Najib founded to drive new development in the country. The IFJ said: “The criminal defamation case against Clare Rewcastle Brown is yet another arbitrary attempt by the Malaysian authorities to quash critical reportage and crucial investigative journalism. She described the revival of the case in March 2021 as a ‘politically motivated’ move and a “blatant abuse of power and influence within Malaysia”.Ĭontesting the contents of a single paragraph in Rewcastle-Brown’s book, Sultanah Nur Zahirah is seeking RM100 million (USD 24,000) in damages from each defendant, including publishers GB Gerakbudaya Enterprise Sdn Bhd, Chong Ton Sin, and printer Vinlin Press Sdn Bhd. Rewcastle Brown faces a criminal defamation charge under section 500 of the Malaysian Penal Code, which carries a punishment of up to two years imprisonment and a fine.Īccording to Rewcastle Brown, the plea for information is unnecessary as the police have contacted her directly in the past and are aware of her whereabouts. Rewcastle Brown advised authorities that she has no intentions of travelling to Malaysia, noting ‘criminal defamation’ is not a crime in the United Kingdom.Īccording to Rewcastle Brown, her case was categorised as “no further action” in 2018. The appeal for information relates to an arrest warrant issued against London-based Rewcastle Brown on September 23, for failing to attend proceedings in a defamation suit brought by the Sultanah of Terengganu, Sultanah Nur Zahirah regarding her book on the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns the continued intimidation of Clare Rewcastle Brown and urges the Malaysian government to immediately drop all charges against her. On November 5, Malaysian authorities made a public appeal for information on Sarawak Report editor and founder Clare Rewcastle Brown after reviving a three-year-old criminal defamation case against her earlier this year. This statement was originally published on ifj.org on 17 November 2021.
The International Federation of Journalists calls for the dropping of charges against "Sarawak Report" editor Clare Rewcastle Brown, who is facing a criminal defamation case in Malaysia regarding her book on the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal.