Pua: KJ has gone completely to the Dark Side

DAP publicity secretary says Khairy has become ‘macai’ No. 1 by defending Najib against allegations in Justice Department suits.

(FMT) – DAP publicity secretary Tony Pua has described Umno Youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin as having become “macai” No. 1 to Umno president Najib Razak and said Khairy’s “transformation to the Dark Side” was clearly complete.

In a statement today, Pua said “the undoubtedly intelligent” Umno Youth leader appeared to be ready to destroy all the street cred” he had built up over the years by asking young Umno leaders to defend Najib.

Pua quoted Khairy as having urged Umno members on Tuesday to stand by the leader “even at the cost being labelled as ‘macai’ or ‘balachi’”.

Khairy had followed up last night by accusing the US Department of Justice for having painted Malaysia as the guilty party in bringing suits to seize assets linked to funds allegedly embezzled from 1Malaysia Development Bhd.

Pua accused Khairy of making “a very clever play of words”, to discredit the prosecution, taint the people’s perception and tug at members’ heartstrings for sympathy.

Pua claimed that the Justice Department had accused “Malaysian Official One” of embezzling US$731 million via 1MDB and said any public prosecutor, even in Malaysia, would lay out charges against anyone accused of criminal wrongdoing.

Two weeks ago, the Justice Department filed complaints in the district courts in New York and Los Angeles to seize assets linked to 1MDB funds. The DoJ alleged that the assets were acquired with funds embezzled from 1MDB and laundered through a chain of bank accounts. The suit named four people.

Najib has said that the DoJ action were civil suits and not criminal charges, and that he, the Malaysian government and 1MDB were not directly involved in the suit.

Pua said the DoJ had not pronounced the unnamed Malaysian Official One’ guilty, as claimed by Khairy but had “merely laid out the detailed facts and figures” to back what he called “very serious and convincing charges” of money laundering and grand larceny.

Pua said Khairy and other Barisan Nasional leaders had failed to deny what he called “the charges put forward by the DoJ”.