Free Republic

Anwar Ibrahim, the Malaysian political veteran who helped build the Pakatan Harapan coalition that swept to power in elections last week, has been freed after being jailed during the tenure of the scandal-haunted deposed premier Najib Razak. The 70-year-old, who was granted a full pardon by the country's King Muhammad V. Anwar, had been serving a five year jail term -- his second prison sentence in two decades -- for a sodomy conviction he says was trumped up... "He is not a member of government, therefore his role will be in the party," Mahathir said, referring to the ruling Pakatan...

Malaysia’s government proposed new legislation Monday to outlaw fake news and punish offenders with a 10-year jail sentence, a move slammed by critics as a bid to crack down on dissent ahead of a general election. Prime Minister Najib Razak has been dogged by a multibillion-dollar corruption scandal involving an indebted state fund, and rights activists fear the new law could be used to criminalize news reports and critical opinions on government misconduct. A general election must be held by August but is widely expected in the next few weeks. The anti-fake news bill, which must be approved by parliament,...

In a speech to US business leaders, Najib says opposition politicians have blown 1MDB scandal out of proportion in a failed attempt to topple his government. WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump welcomed Prime Minister Najib Razak to the White House today, praising his country for investing in the United States while steering clear of an American investigation into a Malaysian corruption scandal. The visit is important for Najib, who faces elections next year and wants to signal he is still welcome at the White House despite a criminal probe by the US Justice Department into a state fund called 1Malaysia...

.....vacationing this week in Oahu, Obama and Najib teed off Wednesday on a cloudy but balmy afternoon at a Marine Corps base, not far from where Obama is renting a home for his two-week stay. The two leaders seemed at ease together, smiling and laughing in casual clothes as they sized up their shots.

President Obama spoke to a group of young Southeast Asian leaders Friday in Malaysia and warned them about about avoiding the "pitfalls" the United States suffers from, the Washington Times reports. Human Rights Watch says on its main Malaysia page that the country’s government has engaged in a "strong crackdown on civil and political rights, including charging organizers of peaceful demonstrations. Though he had promised to repeal the Sedition Act, Prime Minister Najib Razak pushed through amendments to strengthen it, as well as a repressive counterterror law." Obama, however, warned the leaders about such American weaknesses as racial divides, income...

Attorney general says huge sum in Najib Razak’s personal bank account was donation from Saudi royal family and not linked to troubled state fund 1MDB Malaysia's attorney general said on Tuesday that $681m transferred into prime minister Najib Razak's personal bank account was a gift from the royal family in Saudi Arabia, and there were no criminal offences or corruption involved. Scandal-hit Malaysian PM Najib Razak says conscience is 'absolutely clear' Read more The involvement of the Saudi royal family is an unexpected twist in a scandal over the mysterious funds transfer and the troubles of indebted state fund 1Malaysia...

The fallout from the widening G/S scandal involves Tim Leissner, chairman of Goldman/s SE Asia operations, who is on leave of absence. He helped set up a state fund ---1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). Goldman was paid sky-high commissions for bond sales. Then $681 million mysteriously turned up in the bank account of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak. The FBI is investigating w/ a wider probes of money-laundering allegations spanning five countries. Some transactions illustrate the cozy relationship between Goldman and the government. The sum of three bond sales for 1MDB back in 2012 and 2013, some $6.5 billion, reportedly yielded...

Leonardo DiCaprio has backed out of a pricey fundraiser lunch for Hillary Clinton that the actor had been scheduled to host at his Los Angeles home this week. Pop star Justin Timberlake and his wife Jessica Biel will instead host the event at their home. .......snip......... But the timing of DiCaprio’s cancellation comes as the actor’s environmental-focused charitable organization, the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, was linked to a $3 billion Malaysian embezzlement scheme in news reports last week. The foundation — which focuses on climate change initiatives and hosts a glitzy annual party for hundreds of A-list celebrities and dignitaries —...

Malaysia’s government-fund scandal, one of the world’s biggest alleged white-collar crimes, has been connected to a Hollywood studio, high-end U.S. real estate—and now, a visit to the White House. Federal investigators are looking into whether money improperly obtained from the Malaysian fund was paid to a businessman who later arranged an Oval Office visit for relatives of the Malaysian prime minister, according to people familiar with the probe. The businessman is Frank White Jr., an entrepreneur who helped start an investment firm called DuSable Capital Management LLC, along with partners including a rap star. Mr. White has also raised funds...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The United States moved Wednesday to recover more than $1 billion that federal officials say was stolen from a Malaysian economic development fund and that was used for high-end real estate, fancy artwork and production of the Hollywood film, "The Wolf of Wall Street." The diverted funds paid for luxury properties in New York and California, a $35 million private jet and expensive paintings by Vincent Van Gogh and Claude Monet, according to federal government complaints that demand the recovery and forfeiture of the ill-gotten assets. The complaints, filed in Los Angeles, allege a complex money laundering...