MACC DROPS BOMBSHELL ON UMNO POLLS – ‘TOP UMNO LEADER CONTESTING FOR KEY POST USED RM800K FROM FOUNDATION TO PAY CREDIT CARD BILLS FOR HIMSELF & WIFE’: IS THIS WHY THEY DEFENDED NAJIB AS IF THEIR LIVES DEPENDED ON HIM

An ex-Umno minister will be summoned to the Malaysian Anti-Commission (MACC) for questioning over allegations of misappropriation of funds from a foundation, said MACC investigation director Simi Ghani.

The individual was a senior minister of Najib Razak’s administration and one of Umno’s top leaders, reported Sinar Harian today.

“An Umno leader is being probed,” he was quoted as saying by the Malay daily.

He, however declined to reveal the identity of the leader or divulge any details about the said foundation.

Highly placed sources told the daily that the leader being probed is among the contenders for one of the top posts at today’s Umno elections.

Sinar reported the sources as saying MACC had initiated the probe early this year, after receiving information the leader allegedly misappropriate funds of a foundation where he was the president.

He had allegedly used over RM800,000 from the foundation to foot credit card bills of his wife and himself. The alleged misappropriation had started since 2014.

The leader was was reported to have misappropriate approximately RM800,000, and his wife about RM55,000.

MACC was said to have traced several documents related to the alleged transactions.

According to the sources, MACC is also probing misappropriation of funds and abuse of power involving several other leaders, including several former ministers and a division chief.

Party polls under way

Sinar said five leaders are running for presidency, two for the deputy president post. Seven are vying for the vice president post.

Among the hopefuls for president are Bagan Datuk MP Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, party vice-president currently acting for the president, Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and Rembau MP and former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin.

The two other are Bandar Tun Razak Division member Mohamed Iqbal Maricair and Iskandar Puteri Division member Mohd Yusof Musa @ Jamaluddin.

The contest for deputy president is a straight fight between supreme council member and former Negeri Sembilan menteri besar Mohamad Hasan and Umno information chief Annuar Musa.

Seven are contestsing for the three Umno vice-president posts: Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Mohamad Khaled Nordin, Sheikh Razali Sheikh Hamad, Mahdzir Khalid, Tajuddin Abdul Rahman, Johari Abdul Ghani and Ahmad Said.

Ismail Sabri, Khaled, Mahdzir, Tajuddin and Johari are incumbent supreme council members. – M’kini

It has always been about preserving brand Najib, even in defeat

After all these weeks for reflection. After the reams of survey findings laying the blame ‎for Barisan Nasional’s defeat squarely at his feet.

And even after watching how his policies and scandals have hurled the party of his father’s into an abyss of despair.

Amazing that after this and more, all that former prime minister Najib Razak could muster was a muddled admission of sorts that he was partly to blame for BN’s defeat at GE14.

This is what he said at the Pekan Umno meeting today: “While I accepted the moral responsibility for our loss by resigning, there were shortcomings at every level of the party.

“I took responsibility, but others stayed quiet. But it’s ok. They don’t have to resign from their posts. If everyone did that, where would the party be? So let me be the one to resign.”

Actually, on closer reading, his statement is not a partial admission of fault. It is self-serving drivel. It is the statement of someone still wanting to play the victim.

He wants to be remembered as a heroic Umno leader who fell on the sword for his party. In his mind, he took one for Umno.

The charitable view about Najib Razak is that he remains in self-denial and that he cannot accept the events of May 9. And he cannot accept that the 1MDB scandal and the excesses of his and his wife turned millions of Malaysians against BN.

That’s the charitable view.

Najib Razak is not in denial. From day one, everything has been about him. He has been fixated with promoting, nurturing and now defending brand Najib.

He has been ready to claim credit for improved ties with the Trump administration, Beijing and the Middle East. Heck, even when Malaysia did well in the Sea Games, his handlers wanted to make sure that he received the kudos.

But don’t ever try to attach his name to failure. He doesn’t want a share of that negative stuff.

Amazing to think that even in defeat, he doesn’t have the magnanimity to say sorry to his party and Malaysians.

– https://www.themalaysianinsight.com