The World's 50 Greatest Leaders

Rank
49
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Clare Rewcastle Brown

Clare Rewcastle Brown, who is barred from entering her native Malaysia, a former British colony, at her home in London.
Clare Rewcastle Brown, who is barred from entering her native Malaysia, a former British colony, at her home in London, July 22, 2013. Rewcastle Brown is one of the most effective voices calling attention to deforestation in Malaysia, giving voice to growing concerns among Malaysians about environmental degradation. (Andrew Testa/The New York Times)Andrew Testa — The New York Times/Redux
  • Title
    Editor and Founder
  • Affiliation
    Sarawak Report
  • Age
    56

Through her website Sarawak Report, London-based journalist Brown has become an irritant in the corridors of power in Malaysia. Her exposés on state investment fund 1MDB—publicizing the alleged siphoning of $700 million into the pockets of Prime Minister Najib Razak—have made her a hero and a villain in the country, depending on whom you ask. The government has tried to arrest her for “activities detrimental to Parliamentary democracy” and has banned her website, a move that prompted advocacy group Reporters Without Borders to unblock access and help get her revelations out.