Kit Siang: Najib must explain to Parliament about CIA letter

KUALA LUMPUR, July 19 — Iskandar Puteri MP Lim Kit Siang has demanded former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to explain to Parliament on Monday over the letter that the Research Department in his administration had allegedly sent to US's Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

“Let Najib turn up in Parliament on Monday and justify the despatch of the shocking letter from the Research Division in the Prime Minister’s Department to the CIA five days before the 14th general election.

“He should also explain when Parliament had approved the setting up of an intelligence unit in the Prime Minister’s Office and the details about the budget and operations of the secret intelligence unit under him,” Lim said in a press statement today.

Lim said the letter painted Najib as a progressive leader and a staunch supporter of the US while describing Pakatan Harapan leader Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as “anti-West” should never have been sent by any self-respecting government or official.

“It is just not good enough for Najib to now claim that he, as the Prime Minister at the time did not instruct the Research Division in the Prime Minister’s Department to write the letter to the CIA seeking US support for the Barisan Nasional against Pakatan Harapan five days before the May 9 general election,” Lim said.

In his statement Lim called Najib as the “worst prime minister in Malaysian history.”

Online portal Malaysiakini had reported that the Research Division which was directly under the then Prime Minister's Office had sent the letter praising Najib's administration just five days before the 14th general election.

Najib had denied knowing the existence of the letter and had reportedly said: “Not all letters have to go through me”.