Najib: Not a single sen of public funds used to repay 1MDB debts

 

PARLIAMENT | Not a single sen of public funds has been used by the government to repay the principal amount of 1MDB debts, argued former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak in the Dewan Rakyat today. 

He said this is because various entities, including Goldman Sachs, audit firms KPMG and Deloitte, Ambank and the US Department of Justice (DOJ) had returned 1MDB funds totalling RM23 billion to Malaysia.

“Let’s not give the excuse that the 1MDB debt has damaged the country’s finances. The fact is not a single sen has been used in repaying the principal amount of the 1MDB fund in 2018.

“In 2018, the 1MDB debt stood at RM32 billion, and it remained the same from 2019 to 2021.

“So, it is not correct to suggest that the people have to pay or bear the 1MDB debts,” stressed Najib (BN-Pekan) while debating the royal address. 

RM23b returned to govt

He said the government received an RM16 billion settlement from Goldman Sachs.

"We also received RM3 billion from DOJ, RM2.83 billion from Ambank, RM340 million from KPMG and RM324 million from Deloitte.

"All this amounts to almost RM23 billion and it is not the people's money. Supposedly this money can be used to repay 1MDB debt," he added.

Najib also spoke about how the assets owned by 1MDB saved RM50 billion in an independent power producer plant (IPP) contract left by the fourth prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

"These savings are among the reasons why Petronas' cash reserves rose from RM30 billion to RM176 billion in 2018, before being 'looted' by the Pakatan Harapan and Perikatan Nasional administration," he said.

RM38.81b in outstanding debt

The government has repaid RM13.3 billion of 1MDB's debt so far, with RM38.81 billion still outstanding as of Dec 31 last year, according to the Finance Ministry.

The Finance Ministry said the misappropriated funds, which it has seized and recovered from multiple jurisdictions totalling RM19.1 billion, are only enough to cover repayments for this year.

Two of the bonds amounting to about RM14.5 billion will mature this year, which will require the government to repay the full sum. The first will mature in May and the other in October.

A third bond totalling RM12.46 billion will mature in March 2023 and if the government can't recover more of the misappropriated sums, the repayment will have to come out of the country's budget.

Last December, the Court of Appeal upheld a conviction against Najib, who has been sentenced to 12 years in prison and millions in fines over corruption and money laundering linked to funds misappropriated from a 1MDB unit. - Mkini