This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on July 25, 2019

KUALA LUMPUR: Gerakan Belia Gagasan 1Malaysia (GBG1M) is contesting the civil forfeiture suit filed by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) against the youth organisation amounting to RM170,000 allegedly received from 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).

This was revealed by MACC deputy public prosecutor Farah Yasmin Salleh, who was present for case management for GBG1M, Pertubuhan Kebajikan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (Pekida) as well as Yayasan Penyelidikan Transformasi yesterday.

The three entities are part of 41 organisations and individuals from whom the MACC, through a forfeiture action, is seeking to recoup RM270 million allegedly taken from 1MDB funds.

GBG1M, from which the MACC is seeking RM170,000, will be the second entity after the Umno Pekan division — the home ground of former prime minister and member of Parliament for Pekan Datuk Seri Najib Razak — that is seeking to strike out the forfeiture action. “Gerakan [GBG1M] will appoint a lawyer,” said Farah.

It was reported that GBG1M was formed in 2011 to support the 1Malaysia initiative. A quick check showed that the organisation was active up until 2013.

Meanwhile, Pekida and Yayasan Penyelidikan Transformasi have maintained that they will not contest against the forfeiture action. The MACC is seeking RM140,493.07 from Pekida, and RM407,101.16 from Yayasan Penyelidikan Transformasi.

Earlier, Pekida secretary-general Mohd Zain Ghazali told reporters that the organisation had already prepared a bank draft to satisfy the amount claimed by the anti-graft agency. The organisation, he said, already filed a representation on July 1 on the forfeiture, first announced by the MACC on June 21.

“We are not contesting. This matter should not be dragged further,” said Mohd Zain. “If possible, we don’t want to go through forfeiture, but rather cash out and reopen our [frozen] account,” he added.

Deputy registrar T Kavita Tangga Rajoo has set Aug 21 for case management for GBG1M, given the latest development, and to obtain the outcome on Pekida’s representation.