Cover image via AP Photo / Khin Maung WinAmidst the furore surrounding PM Najib Razak's alleged siphoning of funds from the debt-ridden 1MDB, Sarawak Report has been quite relentless in publishing 'exclusive' reports claiming widespread corruption among the people of power in Malaysia – especially over the past week.
Image via Sarawak Report
Dubbed the "Wikileaks of Sarawak", the investigative online news portal published several exposés detailing corruption in East Malaysia, such as that of Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sarawak Abdul Taib Mahmud's involvement in land grabs and Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman's involvement in a dubious timber deal.
The site gained widespread prominence when it published a series of exposés on [1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB)](http://says.com/my/news/cabinet-clears-1mdb-free-of-any-wrongdoing-despite-sarawak-report-s-shocking-expose), including one alleging that financier Jho Low had siphoned US$700 million from a deal between 1MDB and PetroSaudi, which he'd initiated. Sarawak Report also ran several reports on Najib's stepson Riza Aziz detailing how he managed to get millions in funding for his film production company Red Granite Pictures.
1. It all started on 2 July, when both Sarawak Report and the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) published separate reports claiming that a total of RM42 million linked to 1MDB has been channelled into Najib's personal accounts in December 2014 and February 2015. Sarawak Report also alleges that RM2.6 billion was transferred into his private account ahead of the General Elections in 2013.
Image via The Wall Street Journal
2. Four days later (6 July), Sarawak Report published a photo of Najib and his family enjoying a summer holiday in the South of France with PetroSaudi owner Prince Turki, director Tarek Obaid, and Jho Low. It was said that this meeting – alleged to be a sham in order to impress Najib – hatched the first 1MDB-PetroSaudi deal.
From left to right: Jho Low; Prince Turki, the owner of PetroSaudi; Prime Minister Najib Razak; Rosmah Mansor; Nor Ashman, the couple's son; Tarek Obaid, the Director of PetroSaudi, and Rosmah's daughter, Nooryana Najwa.
Image via Sarawak Report
3. The next day (7 July), the site revealed that Singaporean investigators had traced US$530 million into an account belonging to Jho Low in Singapore. The money is believed to have travelled from Good Star Limited's account in Zurich where a bulk of the 1MDB-PetroSaudi joint venture money was received.
Image via Sarawak Report
4. On the very same day, an exclusive interview with Pascal Najadi – the son of slain AmBank founder Hussain Ahmad Najadi – was published. Pascal is convinced that his father was gunned down in 2013 for allegedly reporting corruption at the bank he had once managed.
5. On 9 July, citing insider information, Sarawak Report revealed that a baffling RM2 million has been deposited into a bank account – reported to have belonged to Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor a.k.a. Najib's wife and the First Lady of Malaysia – in 8 different occasions between February and April 2015
Image via Sarawak Report
6. Roslan bin Sohari denied working for the PM and his wife. He'd also pulled down his Facebook account soon after the story was published, but Sarawak Report retained some screenshots from before the account was wiped and released evidence of his involvement with the couple, including travel photos that place his at the same place and time as the PM and/or his wife.
Image via Sarawak Report
