Shahbudin: RM2.6b video reason to act against Najib

Muhyiddin said that Najib did not answer when asked why the monies entered his personal banking accounts, noted Shahbudin.

KUALA LUMPUR: The people, warned a political analyst, will only be satisfied if both sacked Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak are investigated on the contents of a “RM2.6 billion video”, the talk of the town and going viral in the social media. “There’s no longer any reason either not to take action against Najib.”

“The latest video has made many people ask searching questions on how Najib was administering the nation and also raised doubts on the effectiveness of the Special Task Force following the sacking of Attorney- General Abdul Gani Patail on Monday.”

It’s clear that with the emergence of a second video in months involving Muhyiddin, said Shahbudin Husin, the sacked Deputy Prime Minister must be investigated on its contents and a statement taken from Najib as well. “There was no investigation of the first video also involving Muhyiddin, in Janda Baik, although it was said there would be one over the fact that it was unauthorized. The RM2.6 billion video appears to be unauthorized too.”

“Muhyiddin’s statement must be taken on him saying in the video that Najib told him that a lot of money from the Middle East entered his personal banking account. The fact that the video was unauthorized is besides the point. What matters is the contents.”

There’s no longer any reason, based on the contents of the video, to delay taking action against Najib, added the analyst. “The video could not be more clearer in its contents.”

Muhyiddin said that Najib did not answer when asked why the monies entered his personal banking accounts, noted Shahbudin. “This video is a challenge to the Special Task Force investigating the RM2.6 billion allegation.”

“However, since the Attorney- General’s sacking on Monday, the Special Task Force seems to have gone silent. So far, it has nabbed five people including a despatch boy.”

Gani Patail should be investigated as well and his statement taken, said Shahbudin. “He probably has a lot of evidence and proof on the RM2.6 billion issue as a result of his involvement in the Special Task Force before he was sacked as Attorney- General.”

The analyst, continuing, said that on another level, the video was proof that there were severe differences between Muhyiddin and Najib and it completes the picture on the former’s sacking. “The answers have come in the RM2.6 billion just a day after Muhyiddin was sacked as Deputy Prime Minister.”

Delving into the contents of the video, Shahbudin noted that Kedah Menteri Besar Mukhriz Mahathir and former Federal Minister Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir were also present at the meeting in Muhyiddin’s house and could be seen in the recording. “The video shows that Muhyiddin confronted Najib after the Wall Street Journal report on Friday 3 July which alleged that nearly USD700 million entered his personal banking accounts with AmBank Islamic private banking services.”

The analyst quoted Muhyiddin as saying that after Najib acknowledged that the monies did indeed enter his accounts, the sacked Deputy Prime Minister asked him: “Why should the monies enter your personal banking accounts?”

The video, said the analyst, first began widely circulating since Wednesday night and not just in the towns but also even among the old folks in the kampungs who these days seem to have smart phones as well. “Many friends said that they were contacted by their mothers to ask: ‘Is what Muhyiddin saying in the video true?’”

In a little digression on the Janda Baik video, Shahbudin pointed out that the function with four Umno divisions for Muhyiddin was arranged by Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who became Deputy Prime Minster on Tuesday following Muhyiddin’s sacking. “At that time, Zahid was the first to scream that the video take would be investigated and also pointed out that it was an unauthorized recording of a closed door function.”

Zahid, recalled the analyst, even swore that the person who took the video would not be forgiven. “Until now there has been no news on the investigation although it’s known that the video recording was made by Kapten Azri Mohd Zain, the deputy head of the Umno Segambut division.”

The Janda Baik video was the first to show that there were severe differences between Najib and his former deputy, said Shahbudin. “Muhyiddin wanted the scandal-ridden 1MDB Board sacked, the police called in, and the company’s CEO investigated.”