Shahbudin: ‘Why wait Najib? Swear on the Quran on RM2.6b’

In the Altantuya case, Najib was willing to swear on the Quran, but not on the RM2.6 billion scandal.

KUALA LUMPUR: A political analyst has pointed out that if Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, in shades of Altantuya, goes to the nearest mosque as his best option, holds the Quran, and swears in the name of Allah that RM2.6 billion never entered his personal banking accounts, as alleged by the Wall Street Journal on Friday 3 July, the video recording of it would go viral in the social media even if not in his favour. “It would not prove that he was really innocent of the allegations.”

Again, swearing on the Quran in the nearest mosque, although the jury is still out on taking such a step, would be the strongest propaganda tool in Najib’s arsenal. “So, why isn‘t he doing it?”

“What are you waiting for Najib?” asked Shahbudin Husin. “Show your bravery.”

“The RM2.6 billion issue, notwithstanding swearing on the Quran, would not only have to be settled in the Court of Law but also in the Court of Public Opinion,” said the analyst in his latest blog posting. “The people would be watching the special Task Force probing the RM2.6 billion and 1MDB scandals.”

The analyst was commenting on the fact that sacked Deputy Prime Minister, Muhyiddin Yassin, who remains Umno Deputy President, was winning in the war of public perception following a video on the RM2.6 billion scandal going viral. “The video claims that Muhyiddin confronted Najib on the RM2.6 billion, the latter admitted receiving the monies, according to him from the Middle East, but he remained silent when asked why the monies entered his personal accounts.”

The video is strengthened by the fact, said the analyst, that it relates a discussion on the RM2.6 billion between Muhyiddin, Kedah Menteri Besar Mukhriz Mahathir and former Federal Minister Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir. “Not only did Muhyiddin confront Najib on the issue, he related the incident to two other senior politicians, one from Umno and one ex-Umno.”

“They are witnesses.”

Ahmad Maslan’s dismissal of the video, said the analyst, provides material for laughter. “It’s true that the bank accounts are Najib’s personal accounts. However, the public have a right to know from where he got the RM2.6 billion.”

“So far, Najib has not denied the WSJ report. He merely repeated ad nauseam that he never took any monies for personal use or gain, that he would never betray the people and that if he stole government monies, he would not be so stupid as to keep them in his personal accounts in the country.”

Still, the analyst does not see any immediate prospect of Najib turning up at the nearest mosque on the RM2.6 scandal. “In the case of the Altantuya killing, which was linked to him, Najib was brave enough to swear on the Quran that he did not know ‘that Mongolian woman’.”

Najib, by right, should once again turn up at the nearest mosque on the RM2.6 billion scandal to help revive public confidence in him, the government and Umno, added Shahbudin. “Although swearing in this manner can be disputed from the religious angle, and even dismissed as unnecessary, it would at least show that Najib was brave and pushing for the truth. It would give Umno cybertroopers an opportunity to explain the controversies bogging down his administration.”

If Najib can swear on the Quran in the case of Altantuya, reiterated the analyst, it can be asked why he was not willing to do the same in the case of the RM2.6 billion allegation. “In Altantuya’s case, he swore while the case was going on, in a bid to persuade the public who were convinced that he had something to do with the murdered woman.”