KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 23 — In the latest revelation on the RM2.6 billion saga, an Umno division leader said today that the funds found in Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s private accounts were donated by an “Arab king and prince”.
According to Kepong Umno division chief Datuk Rizuan Abdul Hamid, the money was meant to be a political donation to be used during Election 2013.
He said it was because of Najib’s anti-Jewish stance that the Arab royal family decided to make the large contribution.
“Because of that, the Arab king, Arab prince generously made the political donation for use during the 13th general election,” he said during the Kepong Umno division meeting today.
It was previously speculated that the RM2.6 billion had originated from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (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.
Yesterday, Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi 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.
Rizuan let slip again later that the donations originated from Arab royalty when berating Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir for allegedly questioning Najib’s receiving the RM2.6 billion donation.
“He questioned Datuk Seri Najib over the RM2.6 billion donation that was given by a prince from Saudi Arabia,” he said.
In a report on June 2, US-based daily Wall Street Journal (WSJ), citing documents from Malaysian investigators currently scrutinising the troubled 1Malaysia
Development Berhad’s (1MDB) 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.
It was previously alleged that the funds were used for Barisan Nasional’s (BN) Election 2013 campaigns but detractors have pointed out that this would be illegal as RM2.6 billion far surpasses the legal limit allowed by Malaysia’s election laws.
It was also 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.
