PRESS STATEMENT
GOVERNMENT MUST END ITS CRACKDOWN ON MANDIRI, HAYAT & THEIR LEADERS
11 SEPTEMBER 2026
We refer to the action of the Government against MANDIRI, by freezing the bank accounts of MANDIRI and social justice NGO Hayat, as well as the bank accounts of MANDIRI directors, Amir Hadi and Dobby Chew. The Government has also imposed a travel ban on Amir Hadi and Dobby Chew, both of whom are prominent civil society leaders and activists.
The Government’s actions in freezing the bank accounts of MANDIRI and its directors and imposing travel bans are unlawful, unreasonable, oppressive and authoritarian. MANDIRI, Amir and Dobby are well known for their work in youth empowerment, human rights and peaceful democratic change. The actions taken against them are clearly calculated to intimidate and silence them. It is common knowledge that, in the course of their legitimate activities as a pro-democracy organisation, MANDIRI and its leaders have frequently criticised the actions and policies of the Government in power, as well as the Prime Minister.
Such criticism must be accepted as part of the democratic process and should not have been met with these dictatorial actions by the authorities. The right to criticise the Government is protected under Article 10(1)(a) of the Federal Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech and expression. This renders the actions against MANDIRI and its leaders unlawful, unconstitutional and unacceptable.
We are particularly disappointed that the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition, which forms the backbone of the Government today, and which had promised reform and democracy, has condoned these oppressive actions by the authorities by their silence and complicity. Pakatan Harapan should remember it was the long-standing struggles and efforts of principled and committed civil society organisations like Mandiri that paved the way for PH to obtain federal power and form the Government.
We note that in May 2026, the political secretary to the Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Muhammad Kamil Munim, made unsupported allegations that MANDIRI and its leaders were plotting to overthrow the Government. MANDIRI vigorously denied the allegations and promptly filed a civil suit for defamation to vindicate its good name and reputation. That case is still pending in the Kuala Lumpur High Court.
We call upon the government and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who for decades has promised fair, just and democratic governance, to immediately cease all unreasonable actions against critics of the Government such as MANDIRI and its leaders. We further call upon the police and other relevant enforcement agencies involved in the freezing of the accounts and the imposition of the travel bans to explain their actions to the Malaysian public.
We demand that the freezing of the accounts and the travel bans be immediately lifted and all investigations relating to this matter be ceased.
We finally urge the Government to respect the democratic space of all Malaysians to question, criticize or protest unfair and unjust government actions or policy.
Issued by,
RANIA ALJUNIED
Coordinator