The reason why Najib needed RM2.6 billion
What is the difference between Mahathir, Abdullah and Najib? There is only one difference and that difference is Najib did not expose Mahathir and Abdullah while Mahathir exposed Najib. So Najib fell while Mahathir and Abdullah did not. However, at the end of the day, all three had to fund Barisan Nasional’s political activities to the tune of RM2 billion to RM3 billion every five years.
THE CORRIDORS OF POWER
Raja Petra Kamarudin
Legally you can only spend RM100,000 to contest a state seat and RM200,000 for a parliament seat. However, everyone knows that does not even scratch the surface. If you do not have millions, then forget about contesting the elections.
Four years ago, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he does not understand why Najib Tun Razak needed RM2.6 billion to contest the 2013 general election. In his time, he only needed RM1.5 billion, Mahathir said.
Most people focused on the part of the statement that Najib spent RM2.6 billion on the 2013 general election but failed to notice Mahathir’s ‘confession’ that he spent ‘only’ RM1.5 billion.
It costs about RM3 billion every five years to fund Barisan Nasional, RM1.5 billion for the general election alone, since the time of Mahathir and Abdullah
There are 222 parliament seats and 505 state seats (Sarawak’s 71 state seats not included). So that comes to a total of 727 seats. And that means by law you cannot spend more than RM100 million. Hence even Mahathir’s ‘mere’ RM1.5 billion is in violation of the law.
Anyway, Najib said the RM2.6 billion was not entirely or just for the 2013 general election. That figure also included other political activities over five years.
Actually, the problem here is not 1MDB (or the abuse of 1MDB’s money). The problem is politics in Malaysia is extremely expensive. My daughter, Raja Sara Petra, had to spend RM200,000 to fund her political activities over just a few months even before she was confirmed as a Gerakan candidate for Segambut in the May 2018 general election.
After joining Gerakan, Sara discovered that her political activities would require funding of at least RM1-2 million a year, even before the general elections cost is included
At the eleventh hour, Gerakan dropped her because of my quarrel with Robert Kuok. Sara was told if she can issue a public statement distancing herself from what I said about Robert Kuok then that might solve the problem. Gerakan was worried that I have upset the Chinese voters and Segambut depends on Chinese voters.
In fact, they called me up to explain the matter and I told Sara about it but she refused to issue any statement distancing herself from my actions. Anyway, she has since resigned from Gerakan so the matter is now purely academic anyway. Sara felt that Gerakan is too Chinese and not really multi-racial enough, which makes the party merely a clone of MCA and DAP. Furthermore, she could not afford the RM1 million or RM2 million a year to fund her political activities (unless she receives funding or projects, like what is normally done).
On 26th January 2019, the Cameron Highlands by-election will be held. Over these two weeks, Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan are supposed to spend a combined total of just RM400,000 (or RM200,000 each party). Do you think that is what is going to happen?
Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan have allocated a combined total of RM100 million for the Cameron Highlands by-election
You will be surprised to know that both Barisan and Pakatan have set aside RM50 million each party. Yes, that comes to a total of RM100 million when by law it should not be more than RM400,000.
RM100 million just for two candidates to contest one seat in a by-election? Does that sound crazy? Well, the truth is by-elections are more expensive than general elections. In a general election, the money is spread all over the country so less is allocated to each seat. In a by-election, it would be all the ‘firepower’ is concentrated in one seat so more is spent.
Now do you understand why politicians and political parties need to rob the taxpayers? 1MDB was not about Najib stealing public money. It was about funding the many political parties within Barisan Nasional over five years between general elections, and for financing the general election as well, which comes to RM1.5 billion (as Mahathir himself admitted).
Najib needed RM2-3 billion to fund Barisan Nasional over five years
If someone else other than Najib had been prime minister, that person would still have needed to look for the RM2 billion or RM3 billion every five years. And if it had not been 1MDB, it would have had to be something else — such as privatisation projects, concessions, permits, contracts, projects, etc., like during the time of Mahathir and Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
What is the difference between Mahathir, Abdullah and Najib? There is only one difference and that difference is Najib did not expose Mahathir and Abdullah while Mahathir exposed Najib. So Najib fell while Mahathir and Abdullah did not. However, at the end of the day, all three had to fund Barisan Nasional’s political activities to the tune of RM2 billion to RM3 billion every five years.
Mahathir and Abdullah did not have 1MDB but they used other means such as privatisation projects, concessions, contracts, licences, permits, etc., to raise the RM2-3 billion required to fund Barisan Nasional every five years
