KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Malaysian student activists have rallied to demand the arrest of Malaysian Official 1, who has been implicated in a U.S. government probe into a massive fraud in a Malaysian investment fund.
More than 1,000 people defied a police ban as they congregated at two locations in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, holding posters and caricatures Malaysian Official 1.
The U.S. Department of Justice said last month that at least $3.5 billion has been stolen from the Malaysian fund . It has initiated action to seize $1.3 billion it said was used to buy assets in the U.S.
It said in court filings that more than $700 million had landed in a Malaysian official's accounts. It didn't name the official.
#TangkapMO1 shifts venue after bringing traffic to standstill
MalayMailOnline
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 27 ― Several hundreds of #TangkapMO1 protesters shifted their gathering to the front of the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) headquarters near Dataran Merdeka today to let traffic pass through.
The decision was made after the earlier gathering in the Jalan Raja intersection had clogged the roads, with several protesters blocking a RapidKL bus that was trying to make its way through the crowd.
The bus managed to get through after rally volunteers helped move the crowd.
#TangkapMO1 protesters seated along Jalan Raja Laut @themmailonlinepic.twitter.com/m8LWPaZ0ex— Kamles Kumar (@Kama7esh) August 27, 2016
The protesters had marched from two gathering points, Sogo Shopping Complex and Masjid Negara before sitting on the roads in front of the barricaded Dataran Merdeka.
Some protesters have now moved to the fountain in front of DBKL, while some sat along Jalan Raja Laut and listening to speeches from student leaders.
The crowd continued to sing protest songs, including those that praised the cops and DBKL officers for facilitating the assembly.
A makeshift jail cell replica has also been erected with social activist and designer Fahmi Reza posing in it, with a giant clown mask.
#TangkapMO1 rally supporters thanking DBKL & cops at Dataran@themmailonline pic.twitter.com/pSdI8K1U7Z— Kamles Kumar (@Kama7esh) August 27, 2016
Organised by a coalition of student groups, the #TangkapMO1 rally is aimed at pressuring authorities to take action against the so-called “Malaysian Official 1”.
In the US Department of Justice’s civil lawsuit filed last month, “Malaysian Official 1” was identified as a high-ranking government official with authority in 1Malaysia Development Berhad, but the individual was not named.
