A Pakatan Harapan-linked youth NGO filed a lawsuit against Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak in the High Court in Kuala Lumpur today.

Gerakan Anak Muda Tolak Najib (GANT1) also named the Malaysian government and state-owned fund 1MDB as the other defendants.

The group's counsel, Haniff Khatri Abdulla, said the lawsuit filed by 10 plaintiffs is a civil suit to urge the government to reveal and declare what accounts were used to pay the International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC).

“This is a civil suit. From a legal viewpoint, this action is a joint act where the 10 plaintiffs are not just representing the listed names but the Malaysian rakyat," Haniff (photo) said at a press conference at the High Court complex today. 

The plaintiffs of the suit included Amanah Youth deputy chief Faiz Fadzil, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) Youth representative Mahathir Mohd Rais and DAP Socialist Youth (Dapsy) representative Howard Lee.

The suit was filed following a letter of demand sent by GANT1 to Najib in May.

In that letter, they had called on the prime minister to give an explanation about 1MDB and its dealings with IPIC.

They also demanded an explanation on what has been or will be used against the IPIC to retrieve the US$3.5 billion (RM15.5 billion), which was paid by 1MDB to Aabar Investments PJS Ltd.

Meanwhile, Faiz outlined GANT1’s other demands in the suit.

“We are applying for the settlement declaration between IPIC and 1MDB. We also want all money, whether paid or yet to be paid to IPIC, to be returned.

“We are also applying for an injunction so that no payments are made until the final decision (on the lawsuit) is made, plus we are applying to expose (certain) accounts to solve the IPIC issue.

“We do not know where the money used to pay IPIC is from.

"We need this order for the rakyat to know how public funds are spent in a transparent manner,” Faiz said.

In April this year, it was reported that 1MDB and Ministry of Finance Inc (MOF) had agreed to pay IPIC US$1.2 billion and make good on two bonds previously promised to IPIC for US$4.8 billion.

In the settlement, 1MDB and IPIC discussed 1MDB’s funds paid to “certain entities”.

Although not specified, the term is likely to refer to the US$3.5 billion 1MDB paid to Aabar Investments PJS Ltd, a company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands.

IPIC first sued 1MDB in the Arbitration Tribunal in London in 2016, demanding US$6.5 billion as it claimed that 1MDB had failed to deliver on its responsibilities.