PKR Youth is calling on authorities to investigate the youth civil society organisation (CSO) Mandiri for an alleged threat to national security.
This is over allegations that Mandiri had received foreign funding aimed at subverting Malaysian politics.
However, the group has denied any wrongdoing.
In a statement today, PKR Youth chief Kamil Abdul Munim said there were reports that between November 2024 and June 2025, Mandiri had received RM1.5 million in total from the US-based left-leaning donor fund the Tides Foundation.
He said there were also seven transfers totalling RM686,729 to Mandiri executive director Amir Hariri Abd Hadi and others associated with the group between 2024 and 2025.
Kamil (above) - who is Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's political secretary at the Finance Ministry - claimed the funds had alleged links to "political moves" by certain quarters, and that it was used to pay for social media campaigns and mobilise street protests to create a hateful perception and narratives against the government, thereby threatening political stability in the country.
"If these allegations are true, then this is very dangerous. Malaysia can't be a political experiment for foreign powers who want to shape the country's political landscape through local proxies.
"Meddling such as this doesn't just erode sovereignty but can ignite political instability, which impacts the people's economy, investor confidence, and social stability.
"PKR Youth stresses that freedom and democracy can't be used as shields to condone any activities using and misappropriating foreign funds that threaten national security and sovereignty," he said.
He called on the police, MACC, Bank Negara, and other security agencies to investigate all those involved, regardless of their political affiliation.
‘Not a political party’
Mandiri, in a separate statement, denied that it had received funds for political purposes, to mobilise cybertroopers, street provocations, or create narratives to incite hate against the government.
"This is a desperate move to distract from issues affecting national politics," Amir said.
He did not comment on the allegation that it received funds from the Tides Foundation.
However, he reiterated that it was normal for CSOs to apply for grants and that the organisation's focus was on youth empowerment programmes.
"Mandiri is not a political party and is not involved in power struggles, or efforts to lift or topple the government," he added.
Yesterday, Mandiri issued a statement refuting a purportedly AI-generated TikTok video claiming it received foreign funds, was a proxy of Rafizi Ramli, and was out to topple Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Amir said today that he was confident Mandiri's offices would be raided soon and that there might be an arrest.
He said the group has nothing to hide and will fully cooperate with the authorities. After the dust settles, he said, they will consider legal action.
Indonesia's mass protest
This isn't the first time Mandiri has been accused of being part of a conspiracy.
In September last year, it was accused of orchestrating a wave of mass protests in Jakarta, Indonesia.
The protests were triggered by a deeply unpopular move by the government to increase lawmakers' housing allowances to 10 times the minimum wage.
Amir said the group visited Indonesia in April that year to strengthen regional ties and study local issues, but denied having discussions to hold protests.
He also claimed at the time that Mandiri was accused of receiving funds from Indonesia’s “Gasoline Godfather” Riza Chalid, who is a fugitive.
Riza is said to be a close associate of Anwar, although the latter said he only knew the fugitive businessperson in passing.
Malaysiakini has also contacted the Tides Foundation for comment.
In 2024, Politico reported that one of the Tides Foundation's contributors is the Open Society Foundation, which was founded by billionaire George Soros - a favourite bogeyman for conservatives.
At the time, the Tides Foundation was said to be funding several pro-Palestinian groups, including those involved in US campus protests against Israel's war on Gaza.
Politico reported that the Tides Foundation issued a statement regarding the protests, saying it was "committed to advancing social justice”, and that its “community of fiscally sponsored projects, donors, and grantees represent a wide range of perspectives on what social justice looks like”. - Mkini
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