KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 10 — Then Saudi ruler King Abdullah Abdulaziz Al-Saud offered monetary assistance to Datuk Seri Najib Razak during an informal meeting between the two heads of state in January 2010, a former Malaysian ambassador to Saudi Arabia testified today.
Datuk Syed Omar Al Saggaf, who is also Malaysia’s former permanent representative at the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), said the informal meeting had taken place at King Abdullah’s palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on January 11, 2010 as Najib’s official visit was scheduled to take place only on January 13, 2010.
Syed Omar had previously helmed the ambassador post in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia between September 2008 and September 2013 following his appointment by then prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
“At the end of the official discussion, I saw King Abdullah, Najib and Jamil Khir distance themselves from the meeting hall and walk towards the centre of the hall before discussing something enthusiastically.
“I later found out King Abdullah had offered aid in the form of funding that would be sent to Datuk Seri Najib to be used in managing his political affairs in the upcoming general election,” he said in his witness statement at the High Court as the third defence witness in Najib’s RM42 million SRC International Sdn Bhd corruption trial today.
He said among those present during the meeting were former foreign minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman and former minister in the Prime Minister’s Department for Islamic Affairs Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom.
Syed Omar also confirmed his presence at the meeting as Malaysia’s ambassador, further explaining that he too acted as an interpreter between Najib and King Abdullah.
Najib has maintained throughout his trial that multiple transactions amounting to RM3.2 billion from 2011 to 2013 were Saudi royal family donations.
He said he believed the funds, which originated from senders identified as Prince Faisal Turki, Blackstone Real Estate Partner and Tanore Finance Corp, were part of donations from King Abdullah.
Praises for Najib’s administration
During the meeting, Syed Omar recalled how King Abdullah had praised Malaysia’s administration that practised moderate Islam and expressed worry at the political upheavals in other Islamic countries which led to Arab Spring.
“King Abdullah was worried Arab Spring influences would spread to other countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, Pakistan, India and the Philippines before causing a domino effect that would affect Saudi Arabia.
“Malaysia was seen to be an exception and King Abdullah believed that it was related to the effectiveness in Najib’s administration,” he said, adding that the monarch also took into account of Malaysia’s democratic system.
He said King Abdullah subsequently offered his assistance to ‘ensure’ the same administration continued to ruled Malaysia, lest the Arab Spring effect spread to South-east Asia.
To this, Syed Omar said Najib embraced King Abdullah’s offer and thanked the monarch for assistance rendered.
He also disclosed how Najib was also awarded the distinguished Order of King Abdulaziz (First Class) in a closed-door ceremony at King Abdullah’s palace, thus becoming the first South-east Asian head of state to receive such an award.
The award presentation ceremony took place on January 16, 2010 which also saw the attendance of Najib’s wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor and several Malaysian Cabinet ministers.
Najib is currently on trial over seven charges related to SRC International.
Three are for criminal breach of trust over a total RM42 million of SRC International funds while entrusted with its control as the prime minister and finance minister then, three more are for laundering the RM42 million, and the last is for abusing the same positions for self-gratification of the same sum.
