Najib denies RM470 mln given to BN from 1MDB

KUALA LUMPU: Former Barisan Nasional chief Datuk Seri Najib Razak denied yesterday that the RM470 million channelled to member parties ahead of Election 2013 was derived from 1MDB.

The Malaysiakini news portal published last week a microsite detailing the financial transactions from one of four bank accounts registered to Najib that were previously linked to the state investment firm.

The former prime minister rejected the insinuation yesterday, according to Star Online.

“It’s not from 1MDB funds. My conscience is clear. When we issued the cheques we were very clear it was not from 1MDB.

“I would not have issued the cheques if they came from 1MDB,” he was quoted as saying in the lobby of Parliament.

In its microsite, Malaysiakini alleged that at least RM470 million was funnelled from the unidentified bank account to BN components as well as parties sympathetic to the coalition’s cause ahead of the 13th general election.

The party that benefited the most is BN’s mainstay party Umno, which purportedly took RM417.414 million or 88 per cent of the funds.

Umno’s allies MIC and MCA allegedly received the second and third largest sum from this account at RM20.55 million (0.44 per cent) and RM16.5 million (0.35 per cent) respectively.

Other alleged recipients include the Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP), the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Upko, the United Sabah People’s Party (PBRS), MyPPP, Gerakan and the Indian Progressive Front (IPF).

BN now comprises just Umno, MIC and MCA after the other members abandoned the coalition that was defeated in the 14th general election.

In 2015, the Wall Street Journal revealed that Najib received US$681 million (RM2.6 billion) via a personal bank account.

He claimed later that this was a “donation” from an unnamed Arab prince and not stolen 1MDB funds.