Pakatan Harapan chairperson Anwar Ibrahim has called for a review of any understanding with the government following Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz’s revelation that the cabinet had considered providing former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak a house.
In a statement today, he described the revelation as “shocking” and said the issue was never brought up in any of the coalition’s engagement with government representatives.
“This shocking decision forces us to review all forms of understanding that exists to date,” Anwar said.
Earlier today, Zafrul had told Parliament that the cabinet has discussed Najib’s request for a plot of land and house worth RM100 million. This was the first confirmation that such a request was made.
Zafrul said the cabinet’s decision on the matter has yet to be finalised, but he evaded MPs questions on whether there was a preliminary agreement or decision made on the matter.
Pakatan Harapan had previously signed a memorandum of understanding where it agreed not to use its votes in Parliament to oust Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob or block the Budget 2022.
In return, the government promised a slew of reforms and a time frame.
The Budget 2022 proposal has already been passed by the Dewan Rakyat today.
It was previously reported based on a source that Najib had requested a privilege from the government in the form of a 1.1ha residential property worth RM100 million in Kuala Lumpur.
He had invoked a little-known act that gives special privileges and allowances to former prime ministers, including the ownership of properties and land belonging to the government.
The source also claimed that the request had been approved, though it was drawing protests from ministers and senior officials.
Inappropriate 'gift' request
Anwar protested that such an approval is inappropriate while the people are suffering, and the country is still reeling from the fallout of the 1MDB scandal.
“At a time when people are suffering, the fate of contract doctors is still unclear, children of B50 income earners face many obstacles to learning, and so many Malaysians have lost their income, their homes, and even their lives; the cabinet’s decision to ‘gift’ land and a house to someone convicted by the court is clearly the most immoral and nonsensical decision,” he said.
Najib was sentenced to 12 years in jail and fined RM210 million last year after he was found guilty of seven counts of criminal breach of trust, money laundering and abuse of power involving RM42 million in funds from former 1MDB unit SRC International.
His appeal against the conviction is still pending.
Meanwhile, Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul Karim said Ismail Sabri and his entire cabinet would have committed criminal breach of trust and abuse of power if they had approved Najib’s request.
He said this is because of Najib’s jail sentence and the appeals process is still ongoing.
“Najib is not in jail now only because there is a stay of execution against carrying out the sentence, but he is still convicted. There is no stay on the conviction.
“Najib’s appeal is still ongoing, meaning Najib is still guilty, and the conviction makes him a convict and ineligible for any gift or reward from the government.
“As an MP, I ask Ismail Sabri to cancel the decision to gift RM100 million of the people’s money, the country’s money, the taxpayers’ money – to someone who has been found guilty of a crime by the High Court,” he said in a statement. - Mkini
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