Najib says Sabah RCI still 'under consideration'

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has apparently refuted claims that a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) on the alleged citizenship-for-votes scam in Sabah had already been approved.

“We are considering it,” said Najib in a curt reply to a question on whether the RCI would be established after chairing the Umno supreme council meeting last night.

Najib’s response came as a surprise as high-profile Sabah BN leaders have claimed that cabinet had approved the establishment of the RCI on Feb 8.

The Sabah BN leaders had speculated that Najib would officially announce the RCI during his two-day visit to the state last week.

However, he left Sabah after a two-day visit without making any mention of the RCI.

United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko) secretary-general Wilfred Madius Tangau told Malaysiakini yesterday that the RCI was already in the bag and only its terms of reference were to be ironed out.

According to him, Upko had already submitted its proposals on the terms of reference to de facto law minister Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz.

No need to invite Pakatan MBs and CMs

Meanwhile, Najib also brushed aside claims that he had acted unprofessionally by failing to involve Pakatan Rakyat-administered states at his meeting with menteri besar and chief ministers.

Najib said that the meeting was for coordination activities between the federal government and the state governments, and stressed that the get-together was not a constitutional requirement.

However, he said the federal government will invite Pakatan menteri besar and chief ministers for meetings which are spelled out by the constitution, such as the National Land Council meetings.

“They have a lot of meetings and never invite us. We never complain. They will consort among themselves. No problem. We (on the other hand) are doing coordination works,” he said.

Najib was responding to Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim’s claim he had acted unprofessionally by leaving Pakatan administered states out of the 114th meeting of menteri besar and chief ministers in Putrajaya.

Asked if the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) scandal was raised at the supreme council meeting last night, Najib replied: “We did not discuss it.”