THE Human Rights Working Group of Bersama has accused the Government of targeting civil society activists through the freezing of personal bank accounts and travel restrictions imposed on two senior members of NGO Mandiri.
Bersama said Mandiri executive director Amir Hadi and finance director Dobby Chew had been subjected to the measures, with Amir confirming that police were investigating the matter under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (AMLA).
The group said the investigation followed a call by Kamil Munim, political secretary to the Finance Minister and PKR Youth chief, on May 17 for the Government to investigate alleged foreign funding being used to support street protests and promote anti-government sentiment.
Bersama said Mandiri had campaigned against corruption, freedom of assembly and greater student and academic freedom, adding that its work on human rights and good governance had received support from political parties across the political divide.
It said several Members of Parliament from Pakatan Harapan and opposition parties had welcomed Mandiri’s memorandums following protests outside Parliament.
The party also cited the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders as saying legitimate foreign funding was crucial for civil society organisations to carry out work advancing political, economic, cultural and social rights.
“In short, access to legitimate foreign funds is an integral part of the freedom of association,” it said.
The group accused the Pakatan Harapan-led administration of hypocrisy, citing testimony by International Republican Institute president Daniel Twining on July 17, 2018, that the US National Endowment for Democracy had provided support to Malaysian opposition parties since 2002.
“It is thus unbecoming and hypocritical that the Madani Government, especially cabinet members from Pakatan Harapan, now uses their powers to persecute Mandiri activists for activities that they themselves carried out while in the Opposition,” it said in a statement on Friday.
Bersama stressed that receiving legitimate foreign funding did not, in itself, constitute wrongdoing unless the Government could establish that activities funded by such money were criminal in nature.
It described the freezing of Mandiri-related bank accounts as “immediate and premature” and contrary to natural justice.
The group also described the freezing of Amir’s personal bank accounts and travel restrictions as a “calculated personal attack”, saying the reasons for the measures had neither been communicated nor confirmed.
Bersama called on the administration of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to uphold the rule of law and its stated principles of justice and fairness under the MADANI framework.
It demanded that the Government immediately unfreeze the bank accounts and revoke the travel restrictions imposed on the Mandiri activists.
“Bersama reminds the Madani Government to also respect the legitimate human rights work of Mandiri's activists,” it said.
The statement was issued on behalf of Bersama’s Human Rights Working Group and signed by Wong Chen, Ng Yap Hwa, Faizal Rahman, Seah Jhen Pei, Rabiatul Adawiyah Sulaiman and Wong Ivan. - September 11, 2026
