Shahbudin: Name donor, how much used, where’s balance

As long as the Prime Minister doesn’t come clean on the RM2.6 billion, the issue will continue to haunt him, bog him down and hang like a millstone around his neck.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Umno General Assembly on Thursday, said a political analyst in his latest blog posting, was another opportunity for party President and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to reveal the name of the donor of the RM2.6 billion which was deposited in his personal banking accounts before the last General Election in 2013. “If Najib is genuine, brave, sincere, straightforward, and a true Muslim, he will also disclose how he used the money and the balance remaining and where it is.”

“Since Najib has gone on public record to acknowledge that the RM2.6 billion was meant for Umno, he should deposit the remaining balance in Umno’s accounts.”

As long as Najib doesn’t come clean on the RM2.6 billion, warned Shahbudin Husin the analyst, the issue will continue to haunt him, bog him down and hang like a millstone around his neck. “Najib had a good chance to come clean on the issue in Parliament on December 3, the last day of the current session, but he evaded the responsibility.”

“He was not the Bugis warrior that he claimed to be all this time. The shadow of the mysterious RM2.6 billion will hang over his head and continue to be a burden.”

The analyst was commenting on Najib skirting the RM2.6 billion issue on Tuesday night. He noted that the party President merely reiterated the need for political financing, the donor wishing to remain discreet, and that he (the donor) had no strings attached to the donation. “There’s nothing new in all this.”

“The people want details on the RM2.6 billion like who donated, why, how much was spent and how, the remaining balance and when they could be deposited in Umno’s accounts.”

The fact that Najib could hide behind Umno Vice-President and Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who read a three-minute statement on the RM2.6 billion, said Shahbudin in revisiting the issue, speaks volumes on Najib’s immaturity and his inability to cope with public perceptions. “The fact that two former judges could dismiss his claim that he could not speak about the RM2.6 billion issue since it was sub judice, as advised by the Attorney- General, shows that even people within his own circle are contradicting him.”

“The question of sub judice does not arise, as pointed out by the former judges, as the matter is not in Court. Zahid, not so long ago, claimed that he had traveled to the Middle East and met the donor. Yet his three minute statement contained no details.”

Najib’s tone in recent days, said Shahbudin, has been a little different. “It seems the donor is not an individual as made out to be previously but the head of a government.”

“We know that the MACC had issued a statement confirming that it met with the donor in the Middle East. If MACC can’t reveal the details on the meeting, and neither can Zahid, Najib can come in and explain everything. After all this is a personal matter, money in his personal accounts. He should explain, not others.”

If Najib can come clean on the RM2.6 billion, added Shahbudin, his critics like former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, Umno Deputy President and sacked Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, and Umno Vice-President and sacked Federal Minister Shafie Apdal, among others, would have one less opportunity to continue to throw brickbats at him on the controversy.

Until there’s some sort of closure on the political “donation” controversy, continued the analyst, the whispering will continue, the endless speculation will not stop, the rumours will fly and spread, and there won’t be any peace at all. “Had Najib come clean by this time, the whole atmosphere at the Umno General Assembly would have been different.”

“The members would have been meeting in a much calmer atmosphere. This time, there’s nothing but tension. Again, Najib could change all this by coming clean on the mysterious RM2.6 billion in his personal banking accounts.”