Muhyiddin should say why Najib not on leave

He’s afraid of no one but God but hesitates to tell the Prime Minister after the WSJ report to go on leave.

KUALA LUMPUR: An analyst, taking to his blog before Muhyiddin Yassin spoke at the Umno Cheras division’s annual general meeting on Sunday night, stressed that the Deputy Prime Minister would have to explain a serious omission on his part after the Wall Street Journal report on Friday 3 July on 1MDB. The report, he reminded, alleged that nearly USD700 million entered Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s personal banking accounts at AmBank Islamic private banking services.

“Muhyiddin did not advise Najib to at least go on leave, and take a rest, even if he wasn’t brave enough to ask him to withdraw or quit,” lamented Shahbudin Husin. “Is he afraid of losing his position in the Cabinet?”

“Except for issuing a statement on WSJ on July 4, nothing more was heard from Muhyiddin on the issue.”

Briefly, he recalled, the Deputy Prime Minister said the WSJ allegation was of a personal nature and that Najib should explain in a way that the public would be satisfied and at the same time, he needed to drag the American newspaper to Court. “Muhyiddin said the allegation touched on the credibility of the government and Najib needed to clear his name.”

Najib, he continued, did not do as Muhyiddin advised and instead answered questions which he had not been asked. “He said that he had never used the monies, presumably the USD700 million, for personal purposes, and that he would never betray the people.”

“He added that if he stole government monies, he would not be so stupid as to keep them in his account in the country.”

The USD700 million was a serious issue since Najib was not only directly implicated, he added, but he has remained silent on the allegation. “If true, it’s not just about corruption, but involves as well money laundering, and other criminal wrongdoing, and criminal breach of trust by a leader.”

It’s not clear, noted the analyst, whether Najib would proceed with legal action against WSJ as advised by Muhyiddin. “The newspaper has already replied to a letter of clarification sent by Najib’s lawyers. They have not budged even an inch from the position that they had earlier taken. This shows that they are ready to see Najib in Court if he wants to drag them there.”

Even before the lawyers sent their letter, reminded Shahbudin, the WSJ had issued a statement that they stood by their story and would be prepared to defend themselves in Court. “Najib’s lawyers merely wrote to ask whether the WSJ stood by their report and what they actually meant by it.”

Muhyiddin’s reaction to the WSJ report, stressed Shahbudin, was a complete contrast if compared with his earlier strong stand in the Janda Baik video that the 1MDB Board of Directors should be sacked, the police called in and the CEO investigated. “I am not afraid of anyone except God,” Muhyiddin had been quoted as saying at that time, pointed out the analyst.

As time goes on, said the analyst, the people are wondering why Muhyiddin is just remaining silent on the WSJ report, apparently bogged down by the situation, probably even sinking along with the mess in government. “It’s not like how he portrayed himself in the Janda Baik video which went viral. He had then said that there was light at the end of the tunnel and that the truth can no longer be hidden.”

If the Deputy Prime Minister can call for strong action to be taken against the 1MDB Board in the wake of the RM42 billion debts it had chalked up within six years, Shahbudin sees no reason why he should hesitate when it comes to the WSJ report which directly implicated Najib. “He should have at least asked Najib to go on leave.

Even worse, he said, not only did Najib not explain the monies in his personal accounts, as advised by Muhyiddin, he kept repeating things that no one asked him, sent a pointless letter to the WSJ, and it’s also by no means certain at this stage whether he will sue the paper. “What about Muhyiddin’s earlier statement that he was afraid of no one but God?”

In any case, said Shahbudin, the establishment of the special Task Force has nothing to do with investigating the 1MDB Board as Muhyiddin wanted, but was being confined to the allegation in theWSJ report and based on Najib denying that he used the monies involved for personal purposes.

Meanwhile, he said, Muhyiddin’s call for action to be taken against the 1MDB Board “entered Najib’s right ear and came out by the left”.