Make clear stand on Najib’s scandals, Kit Siang tells MCA

DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang has urged MCA to make a stand regarding the RM2.6 billion donation that the prime minister had received. – The Malaysian Insider filepic, September 28, 2015.

MCA should stop its "parasitic" ways and clarify its position regarding Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) donation scandal, Lim Kit Siang said today.

The DAP parliamentary leader said MCA had previously justified its silence over the issue by pointing to the task force probing into the billions deposited into Najib's personal bank accounts.

But the task force had been dismantled for a month now, and MCA has still said nothing in public, said Lim in a statement.

"It is time that the MCA leadership should make its stand clear, whether they agree that Najib should let the nation and the world know who was the foreign donor, how much was actually deposited into Najib’s personal banking accounts, and who were the Barisan Nasional ministers and MPs who received funding from Najib’s personal accounts for the 13th general election campaign."

Lim also challenged MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai to explain why the party had not spoken up on the donation, since it was a matter of accountability, transparency and good governance.

He questioned whether MCA was bent on protecting Najib in order to maintain its own "selfish political interests".

The Gelang Patah MP said Liow should lead the MCA lawmakers in publicly disclosing whether or not the RM2.6 billion donation had reached their pockets during the 13th general election campaign.

"The seven MCA elected MPs, comprising three ministers and one deputy minister, will be doing something path-breaking in the larger national interest if they dare to set such an example of accountability, transparency and good governance, instead of just surviving on their parasitic role."

Allegations of RM2.6 billion in Najib's accounts first surfaced in a report by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on July 2, citing documents from Malaysian investigators.

WSJ said the source of the funds were unknown, but came through 1MDB-linked entities in various tranches, the largest of which – US$681 million – was channelled to Najib's accounts in March 2013, ahead of the general election in May that year.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission later announced that the RM2.6 billion came from a Middle Eastern donor.

- TMI