Najib maintains seized cash was for Umno’s GE14 drive

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak has reiterated that most of the RM116 million in various currencies seized during raids at residences linked to him and his family was money meant for the party’s election campaign.

“You will not know how much it (an election campaign) costs. And you will not know how much people will contribute.

“It is impossible to have a clean zero balance. In any case, when you fight an election, you have to spend pre-election, during election and post-election. Don’t forget I was the president of Umno and Barisan Nasional (chairman).

“Running a major party with three million members like Umno is expensive. And again, it is on record, when (Tun Dr) Mahathir (Mohamad) resigned (as Umno president), he handed over RM1.4 billion to (his successor, Tun) Abdullah (Ahmad) Badawi. That is on record. So, when you consider the context, it is a fraction of the amount,” he told Malaysiakini in an exclusive interview.

When the news portal pointed out that the RM1.4 billion was not only in cash, Najib acknowledged this, but added that during election time, money was required with immediacy and, therefore, transactions using the banking system would not be best.

Malaysiakini reported that Najib admitted that some of the cash, which had been found in 26 currencies, was his.

On why the cash was kept at Pavilion Residences, he said things were done in haste following the election result, when BN lost to Pakatan Harapan.

“It all happened in a hurry, you see. We had to vacate the PMO (Prime Minister’s Office) and Seri Perdana (the prime minister’s official residence) in two hours. In PMO, there is a strongroom built by my predecessor and also at Seri Perdana, there is a strongroom.

“The intention is quite clear. They know when you fight an election, you also have to maintain cash. The opposition knows it as well. They also maintain cash.

“I know it is not something that is publicly known, but it is not peculiar. It has happened in the past and until we change the rules and the law in terms of election funding, this will continue.”

Malaysiakini reported that Najib said Dr Mahathir knew this well as he had done the same when he was Umno president.

Najib also claimed that “one of Dr Mahathir’s people” had collected RM10 million from him at his residence in Jalan Langgak Duta for the 13th General Election in 2013.

Malaysiakini said Najib revealed the name of the aide, but the news portal withheld this information pending a response from the person.

Earlier in the interview, Najib recalled how he wanted election funding to be more transparent when asked why he did not declare gifts he had received.

“We have no system in this country for that (declaring gifts). I actually suggested in 2010 that there should be transparency and we should record the donations to some independent body. But, it was rejected by the then opposition.

“I suspect it was because they wanted anonymity... If the people who donated to them had their identities known, then that would be to their disadvantage.

“But it is on record that I actually suggested it. And I remember talking to Datuk Seri Idris Jala and then MACC chief (Tan Sri) Abu Kassim (Mohamed) about it.

“We brought it forward, but it was rejected. That was why it didn’t go through.”