‘Najib not the only one on trial’
KUALA LUMPUR: DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang said it was inaccurate of Umno leader Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin to say that only Datuk Seri Najib Razak is on trial over the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) issue.
The Iskandar Puteri member of parliament yesterday said in reality, Umno, Barisan Nasional and all those who covered up the 1MDB scandal were accountable.
“The former Johor menteri besar cannot be more wrong when he said it is Najib alone who is on trial, not Umno.
“As a matter of fact, it is not just Najib, but all Umno and BN leaders who helped him cover up the 1MDB corruption and money-laundering scandal, and did nothing to purge Malaysia of the ignominy of a global kleptocracy, who are on trial.”
He said this included all the ministers in Najib’s cabinet, Umno and BN MPs of the 13th Parliament, as well as other Umno and BN leaders.
“When the United States Department of Justice (DoJ) filed what the US attorney-general described as ‘kleptocracy at its worst’ and 1MDB-linked assets forfeiture litigation in July 2016, any self-respecting, honest and patriotic leader would have issued a point-by-point rebuttal in his own country.”
However, he added, Najib showed neither remorse nor contrition for the 1MDB “kleptocracy”.
“This was not done.
“All those in the cabinet, Parliament and Umno and BN leadership positions, at least from July 2016 to May 2018, who aided and abetted Najib in covering up the 1MDB kleptocracy, had done a great injustice, wrong and disservice akin to treachery to Malaysia and they are all, together with Najib, on trial.”
Lim questioned whether those who aided and abetted Najib would come out of their “3D” condition — denial, delusion and deception — to show remorse and contrition for the issue.
His statement came after Khaled said while Umno should treat Najib with honour and respect, they should move on from what had passed and accept the fact that the people had rejected the party in the last general election.
Khaled is the third Umno leader to urge the party to distance itself from its former party president in the past 48 hours.