KUALA LUMPUR, July 28 ― The Pakatan Harapan (PH) presidential council has said that the guilty verdict handed down by the Kuala Lumpur High Court to former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today is a win for those who voted out Barisan Nasional in the 14th general election (GE14).
In a statement today, the council said that justice would not have been served if Malaysians had not done as such after the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) issue was first brought up by PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in 2011.
“This result is a great victory for the Malaysian people. The legal process would definitely not have started if the people had not risen up to hand victory to Pakatan Harapan and defeat Barisan Nasional in GE14.
“When the history of this issue is examined, the administrative problems surrounding 1MDB were raised for the first time in Parliament by YB DS Anwar Ibrahim in 2011.
“The presidential council would like to thank all parties involved in this process, including the former attorney general who initiated legal proceedings.
“The presidential council invites all Malaysians to scrutinise and review today’s judgment,” said the statement signed by Anwar, Parti Amanah Negara president Mohamad Sabu and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng today.
The statement also called for Malaysians to return the mandate to PH to implement comprehensive institutional reforms as this would be the only way for the country to repair the damage done by Najib’s administration.
“The presidential council is of the view that comprehensive institutional reforms must be implemented to ensure that the political climate that allows for the erosion and damage that occurred during the Barisan Nasional administration is not repeated.
“This can only be done by returning the people’s mandate to its rightful place,” said the statement.
Earlier today, High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali convicted the former prime minister on all seven charges of misappropriating RM42 million from SRC International Sdn Bhd.
Najib has consistently denied the charges and claimed the money was a donation by a foreign monarch.
Mohd Nazlan, in reading out his two-hour-long judgment at the High Court, ruled that there was no evidence that Saudi Arabia’s late King Abdullah had ever stated any intention to provide monetary assistance to Najib or Malaysia when both state leaders met in 2010.
The judge was referring to the defence’s argument that Najib had genuinely thought the money in his bank accounts were “donations” from the Saudi royal family and not funds misappropriated from SRC International.
Mohd Nazlan earlier pointed out how Najib failed to take measures to verify this with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its officials by asking them to testify in court.
It was also only after the fact that fugitive financier Low Taek Jho or Jho Low informed the accused of King Abdullah’s wish to donate, the judge said.
