11/09/2026
MANDIRI MEDIA STATEMENT | 10 SEPTEMBER 2026
CONTINUOUS INTIMIDATION - TRAVEL BAN, AND NOW MANDIRI AND ITS DIRECTOR'S BANK ACCOUNTS BLOCKED. WHERE IS THE REFORM?
MANDIRI condemns the ongoing intimidation that has not stopped against us to this day. Last week, as MANDIRI's Executive Director, I received news of a ban on my ability to travel abroad. This occurred shortly after MANDIRI’s Finance Director, Dobby Chew, faced issues returning from Jakarta, where Bukit Aman informed him of a travel ban before eventually allowing him entry into the country. We have never been contacted or given any reasons for this restriction.
Today, my personal bank account and Dobby’s have been blocked. The bank accounts of MANDIRI and Hayat, the NGO managed by Mr Dobby, have also been blocked. We have never once been contacted or informed by any authority regarding this block. Nor have we ever been called in for any investigation.
MANDIRI once again urges the authorities to provide an explanation regarding these restrictions and to immediately remedy them. If there is any need for it, MANDIRI is always ready to be investigated and will give full cooperation to the authorities.
Restrictions like these, without any notification or explanation, are clearly a form of continuous intimidation used to suppress those who are not aligned with the government. As a civil society organisation, MANDIRI is not involved in any political manoeuvring or, as previously alleged, working to bring down Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. The rise and fall of any political parties or politicians are determined by the people. If this trend continues, it would not be surprising if they are punished by the people.
MANDIRI once again asserts that we are an organisation working to empower youth and students, which firmly upholds five core progressive ideas: 1) Social Justice, 2) Human Rights, 3) Transparency in Government Administration, 4) Economic Justice, and 5) Environmental Sustainability. We carry out campaigns, forums, discussions, and activities in accordance with these principles. The demands of our campaigns are in parallel with the demands that were once fought for by the organisations and individuals who are now in the Government, back when they were in the opposition.
This intimidation will not silence us. It will not weaken us.
We will continue to fight!
Amir Hadi
Executive Director,
MANDIRI
