“I will ask the IGP for the details on which are the 20 NGOs that have been investigated,” said Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, referring to Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar.

Zahid, who is also Home Minister, was asked to comment on the statement by his deputy, Nur Jazlan Mohamed, yesterday that about 20 of the 50,000 NGOs listed with the Registrar of Societies had been investigated last month.

According to Nur Jazlan, they were probed for receiving suspicious funds from foreign individuals and organisations.

This followed investigations on Bersih 2.0 chairman Maria Chin Abdullah. There were claims that Bersih was using funds from the Open Society Foundations chaired by George Soros. During the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997, then-Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad blamed Soros for a run on the ringgit, an allegation Dr Mahathir retracted 10 years ago.

Zahid was speaking today to reporters at the PDRM Health Examination Subsidy and Aid Scheme at the Hilir Perak District Police Contingent Headquarters here.