Check out this story in The Edge about the MBI pyramid scheme which emerged about a decade ago: The Ponzi scheme that rocked Penang
(I remember back then there were questions about whether Ivory Property had the financial muscle to handle the ‘Penang World City’ project in Bayan Mutiara. It had acquired the land from PDC for RM1.07bn – in several instalments. Today, Ivory Property has fallen to PN17 status.)
Aliran has just released this media statement:
Aliran welcomes the court verdict in the 1MDB case that found Najib Razak guilty of four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering involving RM2.3bn.
The verdict – along with another High Court decision on 22 December, turning down Najib’s bid for ‘house arrest’ in the SRC International case – is a major milestone in the fight against corruption in high places.
We note that this struggle for accountability was at the heart of the Reformasi movement and civil society’s Bersih protest rallies over the years.
As such, we are totally against any attempt at a “political reset” to wipe the slate clean for politicians implicated in high-level corruption. Let there be no double standards in the battle against corruption.
Let the 1MDB issue and all other high-level corruption cases be fairly adjudicated in the courts, with independent judges and prosecutors. The outcomes should be respected and upheld.
For this to happen, the independence of the judiciary must be safeguarded. In the selection of judges, amendments are needed to the Judicial Appointments Commission Act 2009 to ensure that the appointments process itself is independent of the executive.
Prosecutors have to be independent of the attorney general, who at present is a government appointee and advisor. This separation of roles must be expedited.
Support the struggle to build a Malaysia based on Justice, Freedom, Solidarity:
Meanwhile, we call on the Attorney General’s Chambers to pursue all high-level corruption cases where those charged were granted a “discharge not amounting to acquittal”.
Aliran executive committee
26 December 2025
Some quarters are testing the waters. They want to review the restriction on ‘development’ projects above 76 meters above sea level.
It looks like they would like to remove this restriction in the 2040 Penang structure plan. (The 76-metre restriction is still in place in the 2030 Penang Structure Plan, which remains in force.) The greed is just too much.
Instead of dabbling with the 2040 structure plan now, why not first focus on putting in place a Penang Island local plan? Imagine we still don’t have a local plan after all these years! A local plan governs in detail what is allowed and not allowed in our neighbourhoods – and we don’t have that yet.
Calling all Penangites, researchers, policymakers and community leaders. Come and share your opinions and ideas for a better, more liveable Penang.
This is your chance to be part of an open dialogue on the issues that matter most — from the environment and development to transport, heritage and housing.
A piece I originally uploaded here on 5 July 2025 – still relevant.
Imagine this: you are watching a political debate and one of the candidates has to spell out his own name because his rival cannot get it right.
“The name is Mamdani, M-A-M-D-A-N-I.” (This of course has been turned into a meme, complete with dance moves, that has swept across US social media.)
Aliran is gravely concerned by the US-Malaysia trade agreement, signed on 26 October, which the White House has labelled “reciprocal”.
In our assessment, the terms appear lopsided and raise serious concerns about their impact on Malaysia’s national interests, economic sovereignty and strategic autonomy.
The state has a great opportunity to do something for the people. But will it? Or will it pander to developers’ interests?
Penang quit rent for residential areas will rise by 29–127%, so says a news report.
I am not surprised. Did you really think all those mega-projects, questionable land deals, easy reclamation rights (classified as freehold instead of leasehold) and lopsided deals, would not come at a price in the end? That it would not hurt your pockets in the long run?
We in Aliran are alarmed at today’s (28 August) rushed second reading and vote on the Government Procurement Bill 2025 in Parliament. This comes just three days before we celebrate National Day.
The 125-63 vote, which prompted opposition MPs to stage a walkout, represents a troubling departure from the reformist principles that some of those in government today once claimed to champion.
More and more people in Penang are demanding transparency as mega-projects advance without proper local plan oversight
This piece, published in Aliran, was written by Rebecca Duckett.