KUALA LUMPUR, July 4 — The bank accounts of Johor Baru and Padang Rengas Umno have been frozen, its chiefs confirmed.
In reports by the New Straits Times today, Johor Baru Umno chief Tan Sri Shahrir Abdul Samad confirmed that his personal and party accounts have been frozen while Padang Rengas chief Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz confirmed the party account is frozen.
Nazri, who was the tourism and culture minister under the previous administration, told the English daily that as of yesterday, none of his personal accounts had been frozen.
Shahrir, who admitted to receiving funds from former prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in 2013, said he did not know the source of the RM1 million he received after the 13th General Election.
“I received the fund in November 2013, when I went to see him (Najib). He was the party president and I was the division chief,” he said at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) where he was questioned yesterday.
“I asked for funds to assist my political activities in Johor Baru. For me, it was a straightforward political fund.”
However, the New Straits Times report stated the former Felda chairman was not asked by MACC to return the money.
“We will wait and see what they want back. To me, it was a political fund, not an illicit or illegitimate fund,” he said.
“There is no law on financial funding in our country.”
“This should be legal as it is a political donation,” added Shahrir.
The task force has frozen as many as 408 bank accounts with funds totalling some RM1.1 billion between June 26 and 29.
In a statement released by the task force, it said 81 individuals and 55 companies whose bank accounts have been frozen are believed to have links to the 1MDB scandal.
