Umno should publicly disclose Najib fund details, says analyst

 Syaza Shukri says full public disclosure will strengthen trust in Umno, but accountant Khalid Ahmad raises broader concerns over the moral direction of political leadership.

An analyst says detailed records of the RM50 million raised for Najib Razak must be made public to strengthen transparency and public trust. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

Umno must publicly disclose details of the RM50 million Najib Razak fund to demonstrate its commitment to transparency and accountability, a political analyst says.

International Islamic University Malaysia political scientist Syaza Shukri said doing so would allow the public to assess the fundraising exercise and help build trust in the party.

Syaza Shukri.

“Yes, I think it should be made publicly available because that’s the point. Umno has to show that it is serious about transparency and accountability … that everything is above board,” she told FMT.

Syaza said the information must be sufficiently detailed to address questions surrounding the contributions and minimise speculation about possible wrongdoing.

“I think it should be detailed enough so that there is no room for people to accuse Umno of wrongdoing. When people can see the actual details, it increases trust in the party,” she added.

However, she does not expect Umno to take this course of action until after the Melaka election on Saturday, to avoid giving the impression that it is bowing to political pressure.

On Nov 6, Umno announced that it had settled the RM50 million fine imposed on Najib in the SRC International case, fulfilling one of the conditions of the royal pardon that would allow him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.

The announcement immediately prompted calls for greater scrutiny, with veteran journalist A Kadir Jasin urging the authorities to launch an investigation to determine the source of the money and establish whether the contributions came from legitimate sources.

Kampar MP Chong Zhemin also called on Umno to confirm or deny claims that contractors involved in rural road projects had contributed to the fund.

In response, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said on Tuesday that the party was prepared to disclose details of the Najib Razak Solidarity Fund to the relevant authorities.

Zahid said the money had been collected through crowdfunding, with contributions from Umno members and non-members, as well as its branches, divisions and state liaison bodies.

He said all contributions had been channelled through an account administered by Umno headquarters, which had since been closed after the fundraising target was reached.

A matter of ethics

Former Association of Chartered Certified Accountants Malaysia advisory committee president Khalid Ahmad said the controversy raised broader questions about Umno’s moral direction, given that Najib had been convicted in two corruption-related cases.

He said political parties must uphold the standards of behaviour and integrity they seek to promote, beyond merely addressing questions of money and financial transparency.

“How do these present leaders shape the desired culture, behaviour, ethics and moral standards of our people?” he asked.

He said the public, particularly university students and younger voters, were watching how political leaders handled such controversies and the example they set for society.

Najib was jailed in August 2022 after the Federal Court upheld his conviction for abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and money laundering involving RM42 million in SRC International funds.

He was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment and fined RM210 million.

On Jan 29, 2024, the Pardons Board halved his prison sentence to six years and reduced his fine to RM50 million.

On Sept 18, 2026, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Ibrahim, granted Najib a further conditional pardon, allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028, subject to payment of the RM50 million fine and other stipulated conditions.

Last Friday, Umno settled the fine and the High Court issued an order of discharge upon payment. However, implementation of the order was deferred after the Attorney-General’s Chambers raised concerns that there were errors in the discharge order.

Yesterday, Justice Aslam Zainuddin set aside the earlier order and issued a fresh order allowing Najib to serve the remainder of his SRC International sentence under house arrest.

Najib was transferred from Kajang prison to his residence in Taman Duta, Kuala Lumpur, last night. - FMT