Sudhagaran Stanley

DTP alumnus Sudhagaran Stanley is a prominent figure in the fight against corruption and for good governance in Malaysia. He currently serves as the Deputy CEO at the Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4 Center), a well-known Malaysian anti-corruption organisation, that has been at the forefront of efforts to hold corrupt politicians and officials to account. Stanley joined C4 Center in 2016 as the Northern Region Coordinator.

Stanley’s human rights advocacy began in 2009 when he joined the Office of Human Development in Penang, Malaysia, a faith-based organisation providing support and services to migrant workers and refugees. This exposed him to the human rights violations and social justice issues that made people leave their countries of origin and made them vulnerable in Malaysia.

With a recommendation from Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA), he joined DTP’s 24th Annual Regional Human Rights and Peoples Diplomacy Training Program in Nepal.

Reflecting on the impact of DTP training, Stanley says,

“The DTP training was a game changer for me. The training is excellent. It opened my eyes to UN conventions, human rights laws, and global policies. It provided me with exposure to international networks and a larger perspective, connecting me with like-minded activists.”

After joining C4 Center, Stanley’s focus has been on corruption, one of the most critical human rights issues in Asia. This included work on raising awareness and addressing the corruption scandal involving former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and the many other governance issues affecting his government. Anti-corruption advocacy is one of the most dangerous and risky areas of work. This has not stopped Stanley and like-minded activists in the country from exposing and speaking out against corrupt practices and has resulted in big wins. Former Prime Minister Najib Razak is now in prison following his conviction in relation to the multi-billion-dollar 1MDB scandal.

In Malaysia, as in other countries, corruption was associated with rapid responses to COVID. C4 Center has been at the forefront constantly raising the alarm on malpractices and bad governance practices during this period. Stanley was even arrested during the COVID pandemic emergency declaration period for speaking out against police abuse of power.

Following the change of government in Malaysia, civic space has opened up. Stanley and C4 Center are now actively participating in government-led committees and advocate for reforms in areas such as political financing, procurement, whistleblower protection, the establishment of an ombudsman and overhauling the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

Stanley’s dedication to fighting corruption, promoting good governance, and advocating for institutional reform has made him a prominent voice in Malaysia’s anti-corruption movement. He sees this work as part of wider efforts to promote and protect human rights.

Stanley has stayed involved in other human rights work too, using his knowledge, experience and networks to benefit others. He co-founded The Lifebridge Learning Center, a school for refugee children in Penang. The school provides free education to over 140 refugee students, preparing them for resettlement into other countries. Having completed his law degree, Stanley plans to begin his chambering soon to enable him to enter into law practice and take up human rights cases.

Stanley is also interested to help DTP and others develop regional knowledge, skills and networks on anti-corruption. The links between human rights and anti-corruption work and networks need to be developed. Based on his own experience of DTP many years ago, Stanley believes that,

“DTP should be funded, supported, and expanded as it empowers advocates like me who are working on the ground with the ammunition of knowledge and skills.”