Collectively Combating Kleptocracy - Malaysia: Holding Kleptocrats Accountable after 1MDB

Democracy That Delivers

The 1Malaysia Development Berhard scandal (1MDB Scandal) is known as one of the world’s most prolific financial scandals. With billions lost as a consequence of fraudulent activity by a Malaysian sovereign wealth fund, 1MDB, the scandal saw a huge backlash from Malaysian citizens, the media, and civil society organisations alike. In this episode, P. Gunasegaram, an Independent Journalist and author of 1MDB: The Scandal That Brought Down A Government, joins the host, Max Levites (Senior Governance Specialist, International Republican Institute), to discuss the history and context of the scandal itself and the motivations for and nature of the collective action response.

Gunasegaram discusses the driving force behind the collective action movement, more notably the importance of the media and news outlets, derived from his own personal experience and involvement. He highlights the significance of cohesive and coordinated action by the media, civil society, and international actors working together to bring corrupt government officials to account and recover stolen assets. Gunasegaram finally outlines the key lessons and success factors to take away from this complex and multi-faceted case and its subsequent collective action response.