Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak gave an exclusive interview with Reuters, saying that he should not be blamed for the 1MDB scandal.
Here are some snippets of the claims he made during the sit-down interview held at a five-star hotel on the island of Langkawi.
Regarding his role in the 1MDB funds appropriation scandal
Maybe he was framed by the police
“I didn’t benefit from the 1MDB because I believe that the 1MDB was created to do something good for the country.
I think they (the police) wanted to tarnish my image in the court of public opinion. Maybe they were under instruction.”
He knows what’s right & what’s wrong
He added that he was “not aware” of the purchase of various goods, such as yachts, paintings, gems and prime real estate.
He said:
“I would never authorise 1MDB funds to be used for any of these items.
I’ve been in government so long, I know what’s right and what’s wrong.”
Majority of luxury items are gifts
Nearly 300 boxes of luxury handbags & other items were given to his wife & daughter
“But again as I said to you, if they are gifts, they are wedding gifts.
What is the connection to 1MDB? You got to be fair to me, you see.”
He said he knows that public perception of him is negative at the moment.
“That’s why I’m taking the opportunity to explain that the vast number of handbags were really gifts.”
He said he has the evidence to prove that too:
“Yes, there were gifts, and as I’ve said, particularly with my daughter, they were tagged…
… and they were actually labelled (with): “when, by whom” and all that, you know.
Son-in-law gifted many bags to Rosmah
He said his son-in-law Daniyar Nazarbayev, the nephew of Kazakstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev, also gifted many of the handbags to Rosmah.
He said:
“People might find it hard to understand, but my son-in-law for example, he gets Birkin from his source, five or six at one go.
His family has got some means, so it has nothing to do with 1MDB if it comes from Kazakhstan.”
He also said that the RM114 million found at his family home in Kuala Lumpur were party funds belonging to the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO).
Daryl Aiden Yow apologises for claiming stock images as own work, takes “full responsibility”
He did speak out in defence of his friends, though.
Regarding the money that was moved through his personal bank account
No idea about it at all
“(I) didn’t have any knowledge whatsoever of monies coming in.
I would not have condoned and allowed it if I knew.”
Doesn’t manage his own personal account
“Yes (it’s a personal bank account), but I don’t manage the account.
The power of attorney was given to Nik Faisal. He manages the account.
I don’t manage the account.”
Nik Faisal was also the former chief executive officer of SRC International, a subsidiary of 1MDB which was set up in 2011. It took a US$1 billion (~S$1.3 billion) loan with not many assets to show.
He added that while he subsequently learned that the money came from several sources, he said that it was “debatable”.
He continued:
“But as far as I am concerned, I am not privy to the bank records, you know.
Unless you have special clearance from the bank, then you will know the source of funding.
All I knew, I accepted at face value that this is coming from King Abdullah, at his behest, you know, at his instruction.”
Not treated like how a former PM should be treated
“People would expect a former prime minister to be treated with decorum as a former prime minister.
But instead, you know, I’ve been subjected to raids and all the other things.
My security has be reduced etc.
So, you know, in the minds of (the) public, we feel that this is not the way a former prime minister should be treated.”
Reason for not disclosing the names involved in the 1MDB scandal
For the sake of M’sia’s foreign relations
“There are some international ramifications if I were to say…
… because I would have to name certain prominent individuals who might affect our diplomatic relations with them, you see.
So it was on that basis that I refrained from saying it.”
Disclosing more details from now?
But, you know, now it has come to the point where you know, fingers are pointed at me, if I don’t say something.
So I have to say something.
And really those are the things that happened outside of Malaysia. And I’m not party to it, you see.”
Not leaving the country as he did nothing wrong
“No, I never had plans to leave because if I leave, there’s presumption of guilt, you know.
You cannot just leave a country. My roots are here, my family is here.
I cannot just leave my country. I cannot be a fugitive for the rest of my life. I want to put the record straight.”
