I was not paid for my role in 1MDB, says Najib

Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who heads 1MDB’s advisory board, says its board of directors met 72 times in the last five years. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, June 9, 2015.

Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who heads 1Malaysia Development Berhad's (1MDB) advisory board, was not paid for his role in the debt-laden firm.

In a written reply to Dr Ko Chung Sen (DAP-Kampar), Najib, who is the prime minister and finance minister, said the advisory board only met twice.

However, he did not state if this was over a five-year period or on an annual basis.

"The chairman of 1MDB advisory board is not paid any annual gratuity or took any fees, gratuity or interest," he said.

Dr Ko had asked the number of times Najib had attended 1MDB's meeting every year as well as the amount of remuneration he received annually.

He also asked for the number of times the debt-laden firm's board of directors met in the last five years.

In reply, Najib said 1MDB's board of directors met 72 times in the past five years.

They met 11 times in 2009, 16 times in 2010, 2011 (13), 2012 (10), 2013 (8) and 14 times last year.

Criticism has been mounting over the Finance Ministry's wholly owned investment vehicle, established in 2009, which has chalked up debts of up to RM42 billion, backed by Putrajaya.

Scrutiny has grown more intense following whistle-blower site Sarawak Report's recent exposes, which piled pressure on Najib and prompted opposition politicians, former and current Umno leaders, including long-serving former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, and anti-graft bodies to demand a thorough investigation into the fund.

The auditor-general is currently looking through 1MDB's books, with a preliminary report expected to be submitted to the Parliament in June, while Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) started its investigation into the company two weeks ago.

- TMI