KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 23 — After urging Datuk Seri Najib Razak to help turn Bersih 4 into a human rights carnival, Lim Kit Siang today called on the prime minister to attend the rally himself and use the event as an opportunity to explain the RM2.6 billion donation controversy to Malaysians.
In a statement, the DAP veteran told Najib that there was “no way” to make the issue disappear without an adequate public explanation, adding that over time, it would only loom larger over the prime minister and taint his entire time in office.
“The scandal of the RM2.6 billion in Najib’s accounts must be nipped without ado, if the Najib premiership is not going to be drowned in the waters of the RM2.6 billion and 1MDB scandal,” he said, referring to 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
Lim said Najib should hold a no-holds-barred discussion with polls watchdog Bersih 2.0, the group behind the coming August 29 overnight rally dubbed “Bersih 4”, as well as participants of the mass event, and explain the many controversies plaguing his leadership, especially the issue of the RM2.6 billion donation that was funnelled into his accounts.
“The prime minister’s dialogue with Bersih 4 organisers and principal supporters can be an historic occasion for Najib to do what he had failed to do in almost two months – to ‘tell all’ about RM2.6 billion deposited into his personal accounts... where the money came from, where the money have gone to, including the beneficiaries from the pay-outs from Najib’s personal accounts, how much each received, what is the balance of the funds remaining after all the pay-outs and the whereabouts of this remainder balance in the account,” the Gelang Patah MP said.
It was previously speculated that the RM2.6 billion had originated from 1MDB, a brainchild of the prime minister’s that is currently under probe for alleged financial irregularities.
But the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) recently refuted this, saying the funds had come from donors from the Middle East. The commission did not, however, reveal the identity or identities of the donors.
At the Sri Gading Umno divisional meeting yesterday, party leaders Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Datuk Abdul Aziz Kaprawi spoke about the controversial donation, with both leaders suggesting the funds were channelled to Najib’s accounts to help Umno during the polls.
According to Abdul Aziz, who is also Sri Gading Umno chief, the funds were meant to help Umno fight “Jewish-backed” DAP during Election 2013.
Zahid, who is Umno vice-president and deputy prime minister, said he met with representatives of the Middle Eastern donor who told him the funds were given as a sign of thanks for Malaysia’s efforts against terrorism.
Zahid also said the donor wanted to keep Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) in power.
The Bersih 4 rally, which aims to pressure the government for institutional reforms, is to kick off on August 29 and continue overnight in a campout in Kuala Lumpur.
