Behind the Swiss Vote on Fund Repatriation

Lukas Straumann

15-Mar-18 08:35

Behind the Swiss Vote on Fund Repatriation

Later today, Swiss lawmakers will be voting on a motion to amend the law on how to handle ill-gotten bank profits seized by authorities. This is related to the 104 million Swiss francs (RM430 million) that is currently held by the Swiss Treasury -- monies from a fine by the Swiss bank regulator Finma on three banks.

Yesterday 1MDB released a statement saying the money does not belong to 1MDB, and cannot be claimed by the government of Malaysia.

The Ministry of Finance has also refuted Swiss lawmakers’ allegations that 1MDB’s assets have been misappropriated.

Civil society groups however have been calling for the repatriation of seized funds to Malaysia. One of the NGO is the Swiss-based Bruno Manser Fonds.

We speak to Lukas Straumann, Executive Director of Bruno Manser Fonds.

Presented by: Melisa Idris

This and more than 60,000 other podcasts in your hand. Download the all new BFM mobile app.

Categories:

Tags: 1MDB, Switzerland, parliament, repatriation, seized assets

Today’s Shows

6:00 AM

The 6AM Stretch

Thought-provoking discussions on ideas, people and events shaping our lives.

7:00 AM

World Market Watch

Joe Quinlan, Chief Market Strategist, US Trust-BOA Private Wealth Management, tells us where international markets are heading.

7:15 AM

Morning Brief

We recap global and local headlines from today's papers and portals.

7:30 AM

Morning Brief

Saktiandi Supaat of Maybank discusses the outlook for major currencies worldwide, including the USD and MYR.

7:45 AM

Morning Brief

Prof. Dr. Haniki Nik Mohamed of IIUM shares his insights on the risks of Malaysia’s sharp rise in e-cigarette use that has led several states to ban sales.

8:00 AM

The Breakfast Grille

Dato' Dr. Ahmad Faizal Mohd Perdaus of Mercy Malaysia and Dr. Mafeitz Mamat of Doctors Without Borders, discuss the challenges of humanitarian work on World Humanitarian Day.

8:30 AM

Morning Brief

We break down the day’s top news with expert insights.

8:45 AM

Morning Brief

(REPEAT) Dr. Pradeep Taneja, Senior Lecturer in Asian Politics at the University of Melbourne weighs in on Sino-Indian ties.

9:00 AM

Opening Bell

(REPEAT) Joe Quinlan, Chief Market Strategist, US Trust-BOA Private Wealth Management, tells us where international markets are heading.

9:15 AM

Opening Bell

(REPEAT) Saktiandi Supaat of Maybank discusses the outlook for major currencies worldwide, including the USD and MYR.

9:35 AM

People, Planet, Profit

Trung Ghi, Partner & Head of Energy & Utilities at Arthur D. Little Southeast Asia discusses how Malaysia can balance data center growth with sustainability.

10:05 AM

Open For Business

Ethan Wong, Founder of Truly Gourmet, on turning a humble Malaysian staple into a thriving premium food brand.

11:00 AM

Marketing Mojo

Adyen's Soon Yean Lee on why 58% of Malaysians now use AI to shop and what this means for the future of retail.

12:00 PM

Enterprise Explores

Penta's Tefik Lajthia on their new report analysing 1.1M+ EV mentions, revealing why the EV market's reputation is diverging sharply across the globe.

1:00 PM

The Breakfast Grille Repeat

Dato' Dr. Ahmad Faizal Mohd Perdaus of Mercy Malaysia and Dr. Mafeitz Mamat of Doctors Without Borders, discuss the challenges of humanitarian work on World Humanitarian Day.

2:05 PM

Discovery Hour

3:05 PM

Beyond the Ballot Box

A labour rights researcher shares how migrant workers organise their communities despite the challenges and the policies we need to create a just environment for them.

4:05 PM

Health & Living

Is it safe when kids turn to AI chatbots for conversations and companionship? We look at how parents can guide their children.

5:00 PM

Top 5 at 5

6:00 PM

Talkback Tuesday

8:00 PM

BBC World Service

This episode of The Food Chain looks at garlic and its benefits to us.

PROGRAMMES