Mahathir still not satisfied regarding explanation on RM2.6 billion donation

Last year, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told the press that the money was a “genuine donation” made with nothing expected in return.

(FMT) – There is no way that billions of ringgit can be transferred from one account to another without leaving a trail of documents, Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad says.

And the documents detailing the infamous RM2.6 billion donation to Prime Minister Najib Razak have yet to be revealed, although Attorney-General (AG) Mohamed Apandi Ali confirmed it to be a donation from the Saudis.

“The words of the Arabs, Najib, and the AG are not sufficient to convince the court or the public of the US$681 million (RM2.6 billion) that had entered Najib’s accounts,” Mahathir said in a blog post today.

“Surely the transfer of such a huge amount of money needed to be recorded. The paper trails are there for the authorities to investigate.

“Others can also obtain the information if they do the research.”

In 2015, The Wall Street Journal, citing the Malaysian authorities’ investigation papers, reported that the RM2.6 billion, linked by some to state-owned 1MDB, was funnelled into Najib’s personal bank accounts.

Najib, in response, said the money came from a member of the Saudi royal family to help Umno in its 2013 general election campaign.

And last year, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told the press that the money was a “genuine donation” made with nothing expected in return.

Apandi had also cleared Najib of any wrongdoing, and confirmed that the RM2.6 billion was just a donation.

But Mahathir said he wouldn’t have issued the challenge to Apandi to swear on the Quran if he wasn’t confident that these documents existed.

Mahathir had called for Apandi to swear on the Quran in a mosque on whether he had indeed not found any wrongdoing by Najib in the investigation into the 1MDB scandal.

However, Apandi dismissed Mahathir’s challenge, calling the former prime minister “childish”.

“I do not fear anyone including Mahathir. I don’t fear any human being but I do fear Allah. Whatever I do as the AG is all based on the available facts as contained in the investigation papers. There is nothing to hide,” Apandi had told FMT.

Mahathir claimed that Muhyiddin Yassin himself had seen these documents when the latter was deputy prime minister. Muhyiddin had said they were shown to him by then-AG Abdul Gani Patail.

Both Muhyiddin and Gani were removed from their respective posts in 2015.

Mahathir said Muhyiddin had often spoken about the reports shown to him by Gani before the AG was replaced “due to health reasons”.

“PPBM leaders, including me, have discussed these reports,” said Mahathir, referring to the new political outfit he helped form.

“That’s why I know. I won’t challenge Apandi to swear if I didn’t know the content of these reports.”

The 92-year-old reiterated his call for a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) – just like the one set up to probe Bank Negara’s 1980s forex losses – to be formed to investigate the source of the funds.

He asked why an alleged crime that happened recently was being hidden, when a case that happened 30 years ago needed to be investigated.

FMT has attempted to contact Apandi, and is still waiting for his response.