[Media Statement] Show our solidarity with Clare Rewcastle-Brown by donating to her - ENGAGE

ENGAGE expresses deep disappointment that Clare Rewcastle-Brown's application to overturn the RM300,000 defamation damages awarded to the Sultanah of Terengganu has been rejected by the Federal Court on 10 September. This decision in finding Clare liable for defamation over a mistaken identity error that had been corrected and that does not imply any wrongdoing on the Sultanah, sends a chilling message to investigative journalists who exposes corruption that they will not be protected in Malaysia.

As a result of this decision, Clare and two local businesses who published and printed her book, Gerakbudaya and Vinlee Press, will have to pay damages and costs to the Sultanah to the tune of RM300,000 damages, RM135,000 costs and other incidentals (taxes and interests) bringing the total to RM455,400. So far, the amount raised by Clare in the UK and by ENGAGE through Freedom Fund 2.0 is RM305,667. As such, the shortfall is RM149,733, round-off to RM150,000.

On behalf of Clare and the two local businesses, we want to appeal again to the Malaysian public to show our solidarity with them and to express our gratitude to their bravery in exposing the 1MDB scandal. Clare's investigation into the scheme, as detailed in her book The Sarawak Report: The Inside Story of the 1MDB Exposé, to defraud the Malaysian public of US$4.5 billion by fugitive Jho low and convicted former Prime Minister Najib Razak, has led to the downfall of Najib's government and his incarceration today. This would never have happened without Clare's work.

Please donate generously to this ENGAGE's bank account. We will give regular updates on our Facebook page (facebook.com/engage.my) on the status of the collection for Clare and the two businesses.

Name : Engage Citizen Network PLT Bank : Maybank Account : 5512 7609 7331 Remark : Clare

On behalf of Clare, Gerakbudaya and Vinlee Press, we thank all who have donated previously and those will be donating this time. We urge you to verify the information and bank details given by visiting Clare's blog (https://www.sarawakreport.org/2024/09/keep-malaysias-independent-publishers-in-business/) and Googling about ENGAGE and Freedom Fund 2.0.

Video message from Clare - https://www.facebook.com/engage.my/videos/2242315472803447/

In solidarity, Executive Committee of ENGAGE

The press statement is issued by ENGAGE

ENGAGE is a local Malaysian NGO working on electoral and democratic reforms that has been supportive of Clare's work in exposing the 1MDB scandal and the launch of her book in 2018, The Sarawak Report : The Inside Story of the 1MDB Expose. ENGAGE's founder and current Chairman is Thomas Fann, the former Chairperson of The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH).