Malaysia arrests lawyer opposing Prime Minister Najib

(Baonghean.vn) - Reuters news agency reported on October 9 that Malaysian police have arrested and detained the lawyer representing Khairuddin Abu Hassan - a former member of Prime Minister Najib Razak's ruling party, who has called on US law enforcement to investigate an international financial scandal involving Mr. Najib.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak

A blog post said the lawyer, Matthias Chang, was arrested on 8 October while visiting Khairuddin Abu Hassan, who was also arrested last month. A police spokesman confirmed that Chang had been arrested but did not elaborate on the charges against him. Chang is an ally of former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who is leading a campaign calling for Prime Minister Najib to step down over corruption allegations.

According to blogs, Khairuddin's lawyer Matthias Chang has begun a hunger strike to protest his detention. "This is a blatant intimidation against Malaysians who are fighting for justice and truth," the blog reads.

Khairuddin was arrested on September 18 at a Malaysian airport, before he boarded a flight to the United States, on charges of attempting to undermine democracy. Khairuddin had planned to persuade US police to investigate the scandal of 1 Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), an investment fund linked to US banks.

The financial scandal began to emerge in July when the Wall Street Journal reported that investigators had found that $700 million from state institutions, banks and companies linked to the 1MDB investment fund had been transferred into Prime Minister Najib's accounts.

The Malaysian prime minister has faced anti-government protests, with opposition politicians demanding that he resign or take a leave of absence until an investigation into the allegations is completed. However, Najib, who remains chairman of the fund's advisory committee, has denied using the money for personal gain.

Phuong Thao

(According to Reuters)