Zahid: Donor wanted Malaysia to remain Sunni

Deputy PM says he had met with officers of Middle Eastern family who gave Najib controversial RM2.6bn donation

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno vice-president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is said to have met representatives of the Middle Eastern family behind a controversial US$700 million (RM2.67 billion) “donation” deposited in bank accounts in the name of Najib Razak, the party leader and prime minister.

Zahid told members of Sri Gading Umno in Johor that he had met the chief investment officer and also the trustee of the funds, Malaysian Insider reported.

The report did not say when the meeting took place. However, Zahid has previously accompanied Najib on official visits to the Middle East in his capacity as defence minister and later as home minister.

News reports have said the deposit was made in 2013, before the general election, and the money was initially linked to companies associated with the federal government’s investment arm 1Malaysia Development Bhd.

Najib later stated that the money was a “donation” and the anti-corruption agency, which has been investigating 1MDB, said the money had come from a Middle Eastern source.

Zahid said the donor’s two representatives had told him the money was to ensure a victory for Barisan Nasional and Umno in the 13th general election in May 2013, because of the Malaysian government’s commitment to counter terrorism and maintain Malaysia’s position as a Sunni country.

Malaysia was not the only Muslim country being helped by the donors, they told him, according to the report.

News reports have said that most of the money was later sent back to the bank account in Singapore from which the money had come, and that the Najib Razak bank account was closed last year.