The Swiss parliamentary motion to repatriate CHF104 million (RM430 million) in funds allegedly linked to 1MDB was defeated for two reasons.

Peter Hug, the international secretary of the Swiss Social Democratic Party (SP), which tabled the motion, told Malaysiakini in an email this evening that the reasons given by his country's foreign minister were the motion was "open", and there were issues with the separation of power.

"The Swiss government recognises the principle of restitution. In similar cases, the confiscated assets had been restituted by Switzerland if the origin of the assets was located outside Switzerland.

"However, the Swiss government criticises that the formulation of the motion is quite open, quite general, and suggests that a new motion which is more focused, is deposited," Hug said in the email...