KUALA LUMPUR, August 8 — Former second finance minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Mohamad Hanadzlah dropped a bombshell today after he told the High Court he was forewarned by Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s aide of an attack perpetrated by Malaysian blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin in October 2016.
Testifying as the prosecution’s 56th witness at Najib’s trial over the misappropriation of RM42 million from SRC International Sdn Bhd, Ahmad Husni said Najib’s chief private secretary Tan Sri Shukry Salleh had met him at his house following a speech made in Parliament on 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) on the same day.
The former five-term Tambun MP resigned from the Cabinet in June 2016 — at the height of the (1MDB) financial scandal — said this under cross-examination from Najib’s lead lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah.
Ahmad Husni: After I gave my speech (in Parliament), I was at home with my wife. And then Tan Sri Shukry came to my house around 10pm and told me Najib asked him to see me. He said Najib wanted to see me and Najib had discussed with someone — I can’t mention the name — and had contacted Raja Petra and that tomorrow they would attack me.
Shedding further on the sequence of event, Ahmad Husni said the first attack was against his son, Khalid Ahmad Husni, who worked in finance in New Pantai Expressway Sdn Bhd, the concessionaire of the highway.
Ahmad Husni: He and the chairman of NPE attended one Economic Action Council meeting.
The minutes of meeting went to Raja Petra. He published on Facebook, saying that I was angry at Najib because my son did not get a RM2 billion contract.
He then revealed that there were six to seven people in the meeting and that the minutes of the meeting would usually be distributed the following day — although Raja Petra obtained the minutes immediately after the meeting concluded.
Following that, Umno-owned Malay daily Utusan Malaysia then published the story on Husni, alleging he had a scandal.
Ahmad Husni: That time I sent a message to Najib asking him ‘what is this’.
And he said you discuss with Nazri. I did not talk with Nazri because he was overseas. The following day, no attack. Who was telling them to attack and not to attack?
Ahmad Husni was referring to former Cabinet minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz.
Later, when asked if he was upset with Najib, Ahmad Husni replied in the negative and said Najib was only a human being.
“I pray every day that Allah opens his (Najib) heart to the truth,” he said.
Ahmad Husni also shed light on his resignation from all Umno and Barisan Nasional posts following his resignation from Cabinet while denying he did so because he was upset.
Citing the lack of will to continue, he said he left his party posts after working with Najib and on issues surrounding 1MDB.
“I know his character. There was no point for me to continue.
“From what I saw in the Ministry of Finance and in Umno, there was no point to hold any post. I still remained as Tambun MP however,” he said, adding that he wanted to serve the people as was willed.
In a later time, Ahmad Husni said he met with Nazri at Shangri-La Hotel in Kuala Lumpur which the latter told him that “whatever happens to Najib, was out of their control” following the attacks against him.
Najib is currently on trial seven charges of alleged abuse of position, money-laundering and criminal breach of trust over RM42 million of funds from SRC International, a former subsidiary of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
The trial before High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali resumes on Friday morning.
