Police arrest directors of youth-led NGO Mandiri in Amla probe

Police have arrested Mandiri executive director Amir Hariri Abdul Hadi and finance director Dobby Chew amid an ongoing probe under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing, and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (Amla).

Coordinator of the youth-led NGO, Wong Kueng Hui, told Malaysiakini that the grounds for Amir’s arrest were unclear, while Chew was detained under Section 4(1)(a) of Amla.

The duo had earlier been summoned by police to have their statements recorded in connection with the same investigation.

They were arrested shortly after holding a press conference outside Menara KPJ in Kuala Lumpur this afternoon.

Speaking to reporters, Chew’s lawyer Chong Kar Yan confirmed her client’s arrest.

“Tonight they will be detained in the Jinjang lock-up and tomorrow will be the remand (proceeding).

“They have given their full cooperation. Their statements were taken by two officers,” she said.

On Friday (Sept 18), Mandiri and rights group Hayat said nearly 20 officers from the police’s anti-money laundering unit raided their shared office and seized organisational documents.

PKR Youth chief Kamil Abdul Munim, in a statement in May, urged the authorities to probe Mandiri over allegations that the group received foreign funding aimed at subverting Malaysian politics.

He said there were reports that between November 2024 and June 2025, Mandiri received RM1.5 million from the US-based Tides Foundation.

Co-founder decries ‘intimidation’

Meanwhile, Mandiri co-founder Mohammad Alshatri Abdullah said the duo had been arrested despite fully cooperating with the investigation.

He said they were not informed before their bank accounts were frozen and they were barred from travelling overseas.

“After they found out that their bank accounts were frozen and they were prevented from travelling overseas, they presented themselves at Bukit Aman and later the Amla (Commercial Crime Investigation Department) unit to inquire about the grounds of the probe,” he said.

“However, they were never informed of the grounds of the probe,” stressed Mohammad, who described the investigation and arrests as a form of “intimidation”.

He also announced that supporters would hold a vigil outside the Jinjang lock-up tonight.

DAP leaders question arrests

Separately, three DAP leaders have called for the duo’s immediate release.

Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii Lee Wuen, DAP international secretary Kasthuriraani Patto, and DAP Youth national vice-chief Raja Ahmad Iskandar Fareez said the authorities must explain why the investigation could not proceed without depriving the pair of their liberty.

“We recognise the police’s duty to investigate suspected offences and that civil society organisations are subject to the law.

“But investigations must be evidence-based, fair, and free from intimidation, political prejudice, or any presumption of guilt,” they said in a joint statement today.

The trio stressed that investigative measures must not become punishment or intimidation before any finding of guilt, and urged the authorities to justify their necessity, scope, and duration.

“Such treatment risks undermining freedom of expression and civil liberties.

“A democracy must allow peaceful organising, reform advocacy, accountability demands, and criticism of government without treating criticism itself as criminal wrongdoing,” they stressed.

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