NEW YORK, May 23 — The Trump administration yesterday revoked Harvard University’s authorization to enroll foreign students—who make up over a quarter of its student body—in a sharp escalation of the president’s conflict with the prestigious institution.
KUALA LUMPUR, May 5 — Questions have been raised about whether the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) took sufficient measures to safeguard Datin Pamela Ling, a key witness who went missing on April 9 while on her way to meet MACC officers.
Ling’s family lawyer, Sangeet Kaur Deo, expressed concern over whether the agency lodged a missing person’s report after Ling failed to appear at MACC headquarters and could not be reached.
Ling had been scheduled to assist in investigations under the MACC Act 2009 and the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (AMLATFPUAA), but she never arrived for the interview.
Sangeet stressed that Ling’s potential access to sensitive information should have prompted MACC to recognise the risks to her safety.
“Did MACC acknowledge this potential threat and notify the police promptly, allowing relevant lines of inquiry to be pursued regarding her disappearance?” she asked in a statement carried by Free Malaysia Today.
She urged MACC to confirm whether it had disclosed the full extent of Ling’s involvement in the money laundering investigation to the police and whether the agency had any reason to believe she might have been in danger.
In a statement issued yesterday, MACC confirmed that Ling had been summoned to its headquarters on April 9 but failed to show up. Her lawyer lodged a police report on the same day.
MACC said the task of locating Ling now falls under police jurisdiction and called on the public to refrain from speculation to allow investigations to proceed.
Nonetheless, Sangeet insisted it was crucial for MACC to explain what steps it took once Ling did not turn up for the interview, warning that any lack of clarity could cast doubt on the agency’s ability to protect vulnerable witnesses involved in high-profile investigations.
Meanwhile, Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Rusdi Mohd Isa said officers have interviewed 12 individuals in connection with Ling’s disappearance, but no significant leads have yet emerged.
