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Lawyer seeks public support for class action on 1MDB-linked assets
Published:  Aug 15, 2016 4:29 PM
Updated: 11:53 PM

Lawyer Matthias Chang is urging the public to write to their parliamentarians to pledge support for the class action he and former PAS vice-president Husam Musa filed in the United States.

The class action is to seek custodianship of the US$1 billion worth of assets the US Department of Justice claimed had been stolen from 1MDB, pending a change of government in Malaysia, Chang said.

"We are merely lending our names as trustees... that is, if the court finds that there are assets diverted, purchased from illegal proceeds from 1MDB, then those assets and proceeds can be returned to our country when a new government is in place.

"Pending the situation, we hope and we pray the court will recognise our stature to receive those assets in the name of the country, but under the guardianship of the courts," he said in a video statement.

As such, he urged Malaysians who support the class action to write either to him or to their elected representatives to lend their names to the cause.

"But not BN because they will destroy your representation. Write to those in PKR, DAP, Amanah and even those in PAS who are honest and god-fearing," he said.

Alternatively, they can send him an e-mail pledging support that Chang and Husam be the custodians, along with their names, addresses and identity card numbers, he said.

"Then we can truly say that this action we filed in the US is an action of the entire nation.

"Because Umno has failed us. BN has failed us by non-action and refusing to do anything, to even lift a little finger, to recover the proceeds (taken from 1MDB) and bring to book those criminals," he said.

'Don't you dare arrest us'

Chang, who was aide to former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, said the class action is also his duty as a citizen and lawyer committed to the truth.

This is unlike Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, who, despite committing to fulfil his duties to the country, is not trying to bring the siphoned funds home.

"Husam and I believe... we are raising our voices for honesty, justice and the truth.

"Don't you dare try to sop us and find any excuse or law or arrest, charge and incarcerate us," he said.

Chang and former Umno grassroots leader Khairuddin Abu Hassan were jailed under the Security Offences (Safety Measures) Act (Sosma) for allegedly trying to destabilise the economy.

Chang had acted as Khairuddin's counsel and accompanied him to lodge reports with foreign enforcement agencies over 1MDB.

Besides the US, other countries including Singapore, Switzerland and Hong Kong are investigating the 1MDB money trail.

The duo were released after the court found that it was not a Sosma offence. They claimed trial to the charge of sabotaging the economy under the Penal Code, and were released on bail.

The DOJ in July filed two lawsuits to seize more than US$1 billion of assets believed purchased using stolen 1MDB funds. It said the intention was to return the assets to the people of Malaysia.

Among those named were businessman Jho Low and Najib's stepson Riza Aziz. Najib said those named in the lawsuits should clear their names.

Currying favour with DiCaprio

The class action was brought on behalf of the Malaysian citizenry and was filed last Thursday with the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Chang and Husam named Red Granite Pictures, the film production and distribution company's co-founders Christopher Joey McFarland and Riza.

According to the court filing, Chang and Husam claimed the defendants knowingly used funds stolen from 1MDB for their personal benefit, including throwing parties for Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio to curry favour with him.

Also named as defendants were Malaysian billionaire Low and his tax attorney Debra Whelan Johnson, as well as her firm Metropolis IX Capital Advisors LLC.

Goldman Sachs Group and its former banker Timothy Leissner were also named.

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