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Critic of Malaysia's PM arrested, prevented from traveling to New York: Lawyer

Datuk Seri Khairuddin Abu Hassan

The Jakarta Post
Sat, September 19, 2015

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Critic of Malaysia's PM arrested, prevented from traveling to New York: Lawyer Datuk Seri Khairuddin Abu Hassan. (The Star/ANN) (The Star/ANN)

Datuk Seri Khairuddin Abu Hassan. (The Star/ANN)

Malaysian police have arrested a former ruling party official who has traveled the globe to highlight corruption allegations against prime minister Najib Razak, according to the man's lawyer.

Khairuddin Abu Hassan was arrested by police on Friday (local time) after he was stopped from leaving for the United States where he was to meet with FBI officials, his lawyer Matthias Chang said.

He has been charged with plotting to "undermine parliamentary democracy", a vague charge that critics have said is open to government abuse.

"They want to stop him traveling and maybe to intimidate him," Mr Chang said.

Police did not respond to requests for comment.

Mr Najib's government has moved to quash further scrutiny of the revelation in July that nearly $700 million ($975 million) was deposited into his personal bank accounts.

The government called the money "political donations" from Middle Eastern sources but refused to give more details.

Mr Najib subsequently sacked his attorney-general and deputy prime minister and made other personnel moves that appear to have stalled investigations.

Mr Khairuddin, a former division head in the ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), has demanded transparency over the funds as well as at state investment company 1MDB, which Mr Najib launched.

Mr Najib and the company are under fire over allegations that perhaps more than $US1 billion ($1.4 billion) went missing from overseas deals involving 1MDB, which is now struggling under massive debts.

With no progress seen in Malaysian investigations, Mr Khairuddin has recently traveled to Switzerland, Britain, France, and Hong Kong to highlight the case to authorities, Mr Chang said.

Various foreign investigations have been launched.

A magistrate on Saturday ordered Mr Khairuddin held for a week for investigations, Mr Chang said.

The scandals have deeply tarnished Mr Najib, a self-proclaimed reformer.

He dismisses them as a conspiracy to unseat him.

Last month, tens of thousands of protesters paralyzed Kuala Lumpur with a two-day demonstration to demand Mr Najib's resignation and reform of Malaysia's 58-year-old regime whose critics accuse it of repression, corruption and electoral chicanery to stay in power. (k)(++++)

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