PM's Department co-hosted IRI-funded programme in 2015

The National Unity and Integration Department, a subsection of the Prime Minister’s Department, collaborated in a programme that was funded through the Washington-based International Republican Institute (IRI) in 2015.

The National Unity Youth Fellowship Programme was co-hosted by the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas) and it ran from February to September 2015.

According to sources, the IRI supported the programme by securing a US$375,000 (RM1.5 million) grant from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), which is in turn sponsored by the US Congress.

However, it is not certain if the IRI was the only source of funding for the programme.

The programme involved training 20 Malaysians between the ages of 20 and 30 with skills and knowledge to “champion moderation and national unity” as envisioned in the Rukunegara.

Promotional material for the programme also included an excerpt of the preamble to the Rukunegara, which reads: “…ensuring a liberal approach to her rich and diverse cultural traditions; building a progressive society which shall be oriented to modern science and technology”.

Sources said the programme participants participated in pre-arranged meetings with interest groups, community leaders from various states, Perlis Mufti Asri Zainul Abidin (photo) and members of the then-BN administration.

This culminated in a national conference on unity held at the Integrity Institute of Malaysia on Sept 16, 2015, the keynote speaker of which was BN Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.

According to NED’s searchable grant database, the aim of the programme was to teach democratic ideas and values.

“(The programme is to) empower Malaysian youth to participate in the political process, the programme will support a local civil society partner to launch a free, internet-based radio station providing university students with informed, pluralistic viewpoints on pressing political issues affecting their future.

“Simultaneously, the programme will support a youth fellowship programme through which participants will engage with national and subnational leaders on issues of national integration and learn how to advocate for the strengthening of democratic institutions and norms,” reads the NED website.

The IRI is now under public scrutiny after its president Daniel Twining told a July 11 forum in Washington that his group has been working to “strengthen” Malaysian opposition parties since 2002.

Umno took this as proof of foreign interference in Malaysia’s affairs and have called for an investigation.

However, PKR leaders who have admitted to interacting with IRI officials have stated that they are free from IRI influence and pointed out that some former BN component parties had engaged the IRI as well.

The IRI itself has denied that its work was designed to undermine BN when it was in power, and stressed that they also worked with the former ruling coalition to promote democracy. -Mkini