KUALA LUMPUR, July 12 ― Umno-owned daily Utusan Malaysia accused federal opposition leaders today of seeking help from foreign powers to topple Barisan Nasional (BN), following the recent series of exposés on 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
In its Sunday edition Mingguan Malaysia, the paper’s editors said the move by these unnamed opposition leaders was also the reason why PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang had decided to back Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak by defending him against the allegations.
“The reality is, the agenda of certain parties with the help of outside parties has now been translated into the public’s movement to reject BN outside the democratic process ― ala-coup d'état,” said the daily’s editors using the pseudonym Awang Selamat.
“Awang has discovered there is a conspiracy to topple the prime minister that involves several opposition leaders… they have staged meetings in two neighbouring countries to plan this move that also involves the foreign media.”
“Awang believes that is why PAS president, Hadi, did not follow DAP’s tune. Instead, he defended Najib who he fear might be a victim of conspiracy,” Awang added.
Utusan also claimed that DAP has now reduced its attacks on Najib because its plan has been set in motion, even leading to plans for street rallies to take place after Aidilfitri.
It said that Malaysia is now on the same path as Iraq, Libya, Syria and Yemen ― possibly referring Middle East countries affected by the Arab Spring uprising, which led to political instability.
Last week, Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Mohd Sharkar Shamsuddin also suggested that allegations of graft against Najib was an attempt to weaken the Muslim community in the country.
Sharkar said the “relentless” attack against Najib suggests a meticulous plan and a major agenda of unnamed parties to topple Islamic leaders, just like in several Middle East countries.
In another article today, Awang said the recent leaks involving bank transactions and documents to the foreign media is proof that the banking system’s integrity and obligation to secrecy is being challenged by untrustworthy officers.
“Awang really hopes a drastic and punitive action can quickly be done to tackle this issue … This is because when the public has lost trust in the bank, there will an outflow of money towards banks abroad, “ said the editors.
In a report last month, US-based daily WSJ, citing documents from Malaysian investigators currently scrutinising the troubled 1MDB’s financials, claimed that a money trail showed that US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) were moved among government agencies, banks and companies before it ended up in Najib’s accounts.
Najib has repeatedly denied taking funds from 1MDB or any other public entity for “personal gain” and his lawyers have since asked the WSJ to state if it is accusing the prime minister of misappropriating funds.
The special task force leading a separate probe on 1MDB said last week that two bank accounts held by Najib in AmBank were already closed long before an investigation was launched against the misappropriation.
