VOA慢速英语2016 马来西亚开始执行新安全法

AS IT IS 2016-08-03 New Security Laws In Effect in Malaysia 马来西亚开始执行新安全法

New security measures became law this week in Malaysia.

Critics say the measures give Prime Minister Najib Razak far-reaching emergency powers. They fear the new security law could be used to crush human rights.

The law gives the Malaysian leader power to suspend civil liberties whenever he believes there is a security threat.

Josef Benedict is Amnesty International's deputy director for South East Asia and the Pacific. He said the Malaysian government has rejected limits on its power and now has the tools for “potentially abusive power.”

The United Nations human rights regional office said it was “gravely concerned” about the situation in Malaysia. It said the laws may lead to human rights violations¹ and “unjust restrictions” on free speech and meetings.

The new legislation was passed at a time when investigators² continue studying alleged⁴ corruption⁵ in the country. Some critics see the security law as a way for Prime Minister Najib to hold on to power.

Najib has been under investigation⁶ since information surfaced that he received about $700 million in his private bank accounts. The money appeared to have come from the state-owned investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad or 1MDB.

Najib has denied all accusations⁷ of wrongdoing. He says the money was a political donation from someone in the Middle East whom he has refused to identify.

The United States Justice Department is taking part in the investigation. U.S. officials have taken steps to seize more than $1 billion worth of property, works of art, jewelry⁸ and even rights to a Hollywood movie. Officials suspect all those items were bought with money stolen from the 1MDB fund.

Najib founded the state development fund in 2009. The Malaysian finance ministry⁹ now owns it. The prime minister controls the finance ministry.

A spokesman for Najib has said the government will cooperate with any international investigations¹⁰. “As the prime minister has always maintained, if any wrongdoing is proven, the law will be enforced without exception.”

Officials told the court the stolen money passed through bank accounts in the United States, Luxembourg, Singapore and Switzerland. Officials claim the funds were used to buy high-priced homes, artworks and even a private airplane.

In addition to Malaysia and the United States, other governments have been investigating 1MDB. They include Singapore and Switzerland.

马来西亚星期一开始实施新的安全法。

批评人士说，新法给予纳吉布总理广泛的紧急授权，它有可能被用来践踏人权。

新法允许纳吉布在他认为存在安全威胁的任何情况下暂停公民自由。

国际特赦组织东南亚和太平洋区域副主任班奈迪克特说：“政府现在摒弃了制约，有可能滥用权力。”

联合国人权区域办事处说，它对这个法律有可能纵容侵犯人权，导致“不公正地限制”言论和集会自由的情况发生表示“严重关切”。

新法律的通过正值纳吉布总理深陷腐败丑闻之际。批评人士把该法的实施看作是纳吉布把持权力的一个手段。

Words in This Story

allege³ – v. accused of having done something wrong or illegal but not yet proven guilty

potentially – adj. possibly

account – n. a record of credit and debt; a business or financial program

fund – n. an amount of money that is used for a special purpose

1 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

2 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 allege   

vt.宣称，申述，主张，断言

参考例句：

• The newspaper reporters allege that the man was murdered but they have given no proof.新闻记者们宣称这个男人是被谋杀的，但他们没提出证据。
• Students occasionally allege illness as the reason for absence.学生时不时会称病缺课。

4 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

5 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

6 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

7 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

8 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

9 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

10 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。