Dr Wan Azizah calls for emergency Parliament sitting over RM2.6b donation and 1MDB
(Malay Mail Online) – The government needs to hold an emergency session in the Dewan Rakyat ahead of its October sitting to enable Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to answer questions over the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and the controversial RM2.6 billion donation from a Middle East nation into his bank account, Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said today.
The PKR president added her voice to other opposition lawmakers and said that she was “deeply concerned” over Najib’s continued silence in addressing the source and purpose of the donation, in the wake of criticism from global anti-corruption officials during an international conference hosted by Malaysia in Putrajaya last week.
“Therefore, KEADILAN urges that an emergency Parliamentary session be held immediately in order to allow the PM an opportunity to give an honest account to the Malaysian people on what has actually happened with 1MDB and the RM2.6 billion donation,” the Permatang Pauh MP said in a statement.
Najib is facing increasing pressure from government dissenters and critics worldwide over his links to debt-laden state investment firm, 1MDB following news reports in July by US-based paper Wall Street Journal over a sum of nearly US$700 million or RM2.6 billion ahead of the tumultuous Election 2013, funnelled through several companies and into his personal bank account, which has since been closed.
Najib has been mum on the origins of the deposits and only said he has not used any money from any state-owned company for personal gain.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) later announced the money was a donation from a Middle East source, but did not disclose the identity of the donor although some Umno leaders have claimed it to be from Arab royalty, in appreciation of Malaysia’s fight against militant Islam or to help the Malay ruling party fight DAP in the general election.
A four-agency government task force comprising the Attorney-General’s Chambers, Bank Negara Malaysia, MACC and the police investigating 1MDB was disbanded last month following the premature removal of Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail as Attorney-General two months ahead of his mandatory retirement.
But last week, global anti-graft watchdog Transparency International (TI) chief Jose Ugaz cast doubt on the government statements on 1MDB and the RM2.6 billion donation in his speech at the 16th International Anti-Corruption Conference held at Putrajaya.
Ugaz also said Malaysia will not progress in its fight against corruption if Najib does not answer questions surrounding the RM2.6 billion issue.
