KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 16 — An Umno division leader has claimed that the RM2.6 billion deposited into Prime Minister Najib Razak’s personal bank accounts originated from Saudi Arabia, and that it was a sign of appreciation for Malaysia's role in combating the Islamic State (IS).
“It was an appreciation to Malaysia for championing Islam and for practising Sunni Islam (Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah),” Malay-language daily Sinar Harian quoted Kuantan Umno division chief Wan Adnan Wan Mamat as saying.
Wan Adnan was quoted as saying that this was mentioned to 146 Umno division leaders in a meeting with Najib last Wednesday.
“Not only Malaysia received the donation from Saudi Arabia, two or three more countries also received them including the Muslim community in the Philippines and (Southern) Thailand,” Wan Adnan added.
Wan Adnan had said this during the opening of the Kuantan Umno division’s wings annual general assembly yesterday.
According to the Umno leader, Najib had explained the money went directly into his own account as the donation from Saudi Arabia was to Najib and not to Umno.
Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor has said he and the party’s treasurer were aware of the RM2.6 billion “donation” made to party president Najib’s personal bank accounts.”
Tengku Adnan was quoted by The Star as saying that the issue had been “repeatedly explained” when addressing party members at the Umno Setiawangsa division meeting.
Earlier this month, the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) announced in a statement that the RM2.6 billion deposited into Najib's private accounts were donations from unidentified contributors and not from state-owned 1 Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
The statement came over a month after the Wall Street Journal ran a news report alleging that the money was channeled into Najib’s private account through government agencies.
It was later alleged that the funds may have been used for Barisan Nasional’s (BN) general election campaign in 2013.
