Kuching: The Democratic Action Party Socialist Youth (DAPSY) Sarawak has called on the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) to explain and return any funds it allegedly received that were linked to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) financial scandal.
In a statement, DAPSY Sarawak Committee member Sylvester Lim Kai Bin said recent court proceedings involving former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had reaffirmed that large sums of money deposited into Najib’s personal AmBank accounts were directly connected to 1MDB.
“The looting of 1MDB robbed Malaysians of billions, damaged public trust, and tarnished the country’s international reputation,” Lim said, adding that witness testimony in court had confirmed the illicit origin of the funds.
Lim further alleged that money from the same AmBank accounts was channelled for political purposes, benefiting parties aligned with Barisan Nasional at the time.
He said SUPP, a former component party of Barisan Nasional, had previously been reported to have received millions of ringgit originating from Najib’s accounts.
“With Najib’s conviction and court findings confirming that these funds were part of a wider money laundering scheme, SUPP must now inform the public when it intends to return the money,” he said.
According to Lim, SUPP could not claim to represent the interests of Sarawakians while remaining silent on allegations involving funds linked to corruption.
“Any political party that benefited from money linked to 1MDB has a moral and legal obligation to come clean, submit itself to scrutiny, and return what does not rightfully belong to it.
“This is precisely why unchecked power is dangerous. When there is no effective opposition and no accountability, those in power take from the public to enrich themselves and their cronies,” he said.
Lim said, SUPP’s continued silence only reinforces why strong checks and balances are necessary to protect public interest.
“Justice must not end with the conviction of one individual,” he said. “Accountability must extend to every individual and political party that benefited from this scandal. Only then can public trust be rebuilt and the principle that no one is above the law be upheld.”
