Rafizi Ramli’s pre-emptive strike
Anyway, before Najib does come out to reveal the source of that money and what the actual amount is (because it may not really be RM2.6 billion after all), Rafizi is pre-empting that with his new story below.
THE CORRIDORS OF POWER
Raja Petra Kamarudin
It looks like PKR’s Rafizi Ramli now realises that the allegation that RM2.6 billion of 1MDB’s money was banked into Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s personal bank account(s) was way off the mark after all (see the news item below). This seems to be Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s realisation as well based on his Blog posting today.
Many are puzzled as to why if that RM2.6 billion was not from 1MDB then why did Najib not just come out and say so earlier in the day? I suppose Najib wanted to, as what the Malays would say, ulur tali (extend the rope). Let them keep alleging and then when they have run out of steam and have finished talking you come out and whack them once and for all.
Rafizi seems to know that Najib is about to do that. And once Najib does that then the story about him stealing RM2.6 billion of 1MDB’s money would be totally demolished. Those accusers would, as Lim Kit Siang said, end up with egg on their faces.
Anyway, before Najib does come out to reveal the source of that money and what the actual amount is (because it may not really be RM2.6 billion after all), Rafizi is pre-empting that with his new story below.
In fact, ex-Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin himself revealed that the money might have come from ‘somewhere in the Middle East’. That is why he no longer talks about the matter but just focuses on the RM42 billion-1MDB issue.
Well, first they demand that Najib reveal where that money came from if not from 1MDB. And now they say that whatever Najib is going to reveal is going to be a lie. Diam pun salah, cakap pun salah. Apa lagi mereka mahu?
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As 1MDB debate grows, Rafizi says expect BN to say RM2.6 billion a political donation from Middle East
(Malay Mail Online) – PKR’s Rafizi Ramli accused the Barisan Nasional (BN) today of attempting to bury the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) controversy with its sudden push for transparency in political funding.
The opposition lawmaker predicted that the ruling coalition is likely to come up with a new narrative in the next few days to paint over the alleged monies funnelled through 1MDB and into Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s personal bank accounts just before Election 2013 as a financial “contribution” to close on-going investigations on the state investment fund.
“The issues raised lately concerning the political funding of parties are only to prepare the people for the scripted investigation on 1MDB and the fund in the personal account in which no corruption element was found and the case will be closed just like that,” Rafizi said in a statement.
Zooming in on ministers Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan and Datuk Azalina Othman Said, the Pandan MP added that both have been portraying the dubious RM2.6 billion cash transfers as ostensibly a contribution from an international donor to Najib and not to 1MDB’s fund.
Abdul Rahman and Azalina — who returned as minister in a Cabinet reshuffle last week — have been vocal defenders of the prime minister who is currently battling corruption perceptions following reports by US daily Wall Street Journal linking Najib to some US$700 million (RM2.6 million) injections from 1MDB.
Rafizi said he would not be surprised if Abdul Rahman will come up with some form of “documentary evidence” to back his “story” that the money was a personal donation from a wealthy Middle Easterner to finance the 2013 electoral campaigns of Umno and BN and clear the corruption taint on 1MDB.
He noted that a similar argument had been used by the BN previously on the questionable RM40 million injected into the personal bank accounts of Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman, but did not elaborate on this claim.
Rafizi however said the new narrative will fail to address two questions that have been asked of the prime minister.
“Where did the RM42 billion borrowed by 1MDB go to and is it true that the money was taken by individuals close to the Prime Minister, like Jho Low?” he asked, the latter referring to the flamboyant Penang-born tycoon whose real name is Low Taek Jho, said to have close business links to the Middle East.
“Why was the RM2.6 billion which was alleged to have partly originated from 1MDB’s fund deposited into the Prime Minister’s personal account?” Rafizi asked further.
The PKR secretary-general however said he had faith Malaysians will not fall for the BN’s scripted narrative on 1MDB.
He also urged Umno leaders “with a little bit of honour like Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin” to continue speaking out about 1MDB so that others will not fall for the “fairy tale”.
Recently axed deputy prime minister Muhyiddin had claimed in a partial video recording that Najib had admitted to receiving RM2.6 billion from “somewhere in the Middle East”.
Amid debates over the source and receipt of the money, Abdul Rahman has sought to explain that the party’s constitution allows its president to maintain a personal account on behalf of Umno, and that previous presidents also did so.
However, former prime minister-turned-government critic Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad contested today Abdul Rahman’s claim, saying funds for political purposes were kept in a designated bank account controlled by three people during his time in office.
Dr Mahathir served Malaysia from 1981 to October 2003.
