KUALA LUMPUR, July 4 — A former deputy minister urged today the prime minister to clarify all the allegations against him on “live” TV.
Echoing former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad last month, Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said it is imperative that Datuk Seri Najib Razak provides clarity on the matter to all Malaysians.
“I hope the PM will go on ‘live’ television and answer questions because Malaysians need to have clarity and I feel Malaysians will listen,” Saifuddin told reporters at a press conference here, after attending a talk organised by Pemuda MIC.
“Now that the PM has been targeted and people are naming his personal accounts, in my humble opinion that is the best thing for him to do now... to go on television and answer to the rakyat,” he added.
In its report yesterday, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), citing documents from Malaysian investigators currently scrutinising the troubled 1Malaysia Development Berhad’s financials, claimed that the money trail shows that some US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) were moved between government agencies, banks and companies before it ended up in Najib’s accounts.
These documents, the international business paper claimed, include bank transfer forms and flowcharts put together by investigators to shed light on 1MDB’s cash flow.
The paper said this is the first time a direct connection to Najib has been established in the probe on 1MDB.
Saifuddin also sought to broadcast the inquiry by Parliament’s bipartisan Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on 1MDB.
"The rakyat have a right to know… stories are pouring in from all sources, so PAC proceedings must be televised.
"I know Nur Jazlan is okay with having it televised but maybe there are regulations which does not permit it," he said, referring to PAC chairman, Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed.
Saifuddin called on the Attorney-General and Bank Negara to make public statements on their investigations on the latest money trail allegation, saying the two authorities have to be fair to the implicated parties.
"The bank implicated in this pertaining to the PM's personal account cannot comment as it has to abide by the Banking and Financial Institutions Act.
"I would urge them to make a statement as otherwise, the PM will be left alone as no one is assisting him and that is not fair," he added.
1MDB is currently under investigation by at least four federal agencies.
Najib has denied the allegations against him and his family as reported by WSJ yesterday, saying he had never taken funds for personal gains from 1MDB or any other public entity.
In his Facebook posting yesterday, Najib said the allegations were part of a concerted campaign of political sabotage against him as the country’s democratically-elected prime minister.
He added that these attacks began when he refused to implement Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's personal demands, adding that the former prime minister then “created a crisis” by recklessly claiming that RM42 million was missing from 1MDB.
Najib’s political secretary has reportedly said the prime minister will initiate legal action against WSJ.
WSJ however has maintained its story is based on “solid, reliable” government information.
Its Hong Kong bureau chief Ken Brown told US broadcaster CNBC’s Street Signs in an interview last Thursday that its reports were based on documents that “had been shared with the Malaysian attorney-general, with others in the government so they’ve been seen by all and also the prime minister”.
