A small news item of note for Malaysianists: as of today, the last U.S. defendant in United States v. Carson has pled guilty to violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The indictment charges that “corrupt payments totaling approximately $1 million [were paid] to officers and employees of state-owned companies,” one of which was Petronas, Malaysia’s national petroleum company. The crimes took place in 2004-5.
This should be big news for Malaysians and for scholars of Malaysian politics. Petronas is among the most reputable of Malaysia’s multinational firms, and it is a key player in Malaysian corporate politics.
