In a statement issued by the Bersih steering committee, it said the BNM investigation was a way to fool the public by diverting their attention from the troubled state investment fund.
Bersih chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah said if the government was truly sincere about transparency and economic accountability, it should start by openly investigating 1MDB.
She added that Bersih was surprised at the speed with which the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) conducted its investigations, contrasting this with the investigations into 1MDB which were closed despite ongoing probes in seven other countries.
“It is necessary for the government to take its own advice when it comes to the topic of 1MDB, especially in investigating and persecuting the individuals responsible for stealing money that rightfully belongs to the people of Malaysia,” she said.
Maria said the difference between forex losses and money laundering was that the latter is a criminal offence and is used to enrich the people involved at the expense of the citizens.
“We are of the view that it is more important for the RCI to not make it into a political persecution to silence 1MDB critics,” she added.