Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim said he is disturbed by the police’s recent public appeal for information and issuing of wanted posters against 1MDB whistleblower and Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown.
He called the move by the police an unnecessary public display that reeks of abusive political influence and said it added another dark mark on the country’s record regarding press freedom and respect for freedom of speech.
“The campaign against Rewcastle-Brown (above) is made more troubling by the fact that similar actions are not being taken against other known criminals, such as Jho Low.
“Regardless of the allegation against Rewcastle-Brown, she is owed the same dignity and respect as any other individual in Malaysia whom accusations are made against.
“Rewcastle-Brown has and continues to do a great service to the people of Malaysia and, in particular, the disenfranchised of Sarawak by raising awareness of and exposing wrongdoings and abuses,” Anwar said in a statement on his Facebook page today.
The Port Dickson MP added that Rewcastle-Brown’s role in raising the issues of corruption, the plight of indigenous peoples, and the environmental harm stemming from illegal and immoral business practices in logging and development industries are exemplary acts of humanitarianism rarely seen in Malaysia.
He stressed that while Malaysia is indeed a land of law and order, the country also must strive to always better itself as a land of justice and fairness where fair trial and treatment precede punishment by an independent judiciary.
“Journalists, whistleblowers, and activists should not be branded criminals without a fair trial, especially when they fight for the same justice we all want in Malaysia today,” Anwar said.
Police previously made a public appeal for information after an arrest warrant was issued against Rewcastle-Brown as she was charged in absentia for allegedly defaming the Sultanah of Terengganu in her book “The Sarawak Report - The inside story of 1MDB”.
The arrest warrant was issued for her failure to appear in court for the criminal defamation suit.
The infamous 1MDB scandal whistleblower is currently residing in the UK, and has maintained that she has no regret for exposing the scandal, which subsequently led to the downfall of former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak.
