RM3.5m stolen from ex-PM’s office: Why the silence?

PUTRAJAYA: When RM3.5 million went missing from his office, why didn’t former premier Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak or his aides lodge reports or raise the matter to the police?

The deafening silence on the missing cash, which was traced on Tuesday to a grand theft by security guards at the Prime Minister’s Department, has left Malaysian AntiCorruption Commission (MACC) investigators not only baffled but suspicious. The MACC arrested 17 guards on Tuesday in connection with the case.

Sources told that although it is learnt that the cash was part of a much l arger s um of money, supposedly donations that landed at Najib’s office weeks and days before the 14th General Election on May 9, investigators are not convinced and intend to probe the source of the funds.

“An investigation is underway to ascertain the source of these supposed donations. If there were many boxes of cash earlier, from where and who did it come from is what the MACC wants to know. It’s puzzling that someone would not raise a fuss or lodge a police report on losing a sum like RM3.5 million,” a source said.

Investigators learnt that the

Lim, he said, did not give a breakdown on how much GST funds were missing due to misappropriation, technical problems or failure to stick to standard operating procedures.

“I think Lim’s claim that an internal probe by the Finance Ministry has been initiated in itself is not enough for an allegation as huge as this. The people must know the truth,” he said.

Asked if the decision to lodge the report was on the instruction of Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Khairy said: “It was made after discussing with my other BN friends.”

Among those present were Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Kelantan Umno chief Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee and MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong.

Earlier in the Dewan Rakyat, Kiandee attempted to cite Lim for misleading the House over his claim that the fund was robbed, and wants the minister to be cited to the Rights and Privileges Committee.

Deputy Speaker Nga Kor Ming, however, questioned the timing of Kiandee’s motion before ruling that Lim did not mislead the Dewan.

Later, Kiandee said he would bring the matter up to the PAC under the parliamentary Standing Order.

“I understand the deputy speaker’s decision to dismiss my motion. But as the new PAC chairman, I will propose that the matter be discussed in the coming proceedings,” he said.

Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar arriving for the first sitting of the 14th session of the Johor state legislative assembly yesterday. In his speech, Sultan Ibrahim reminded lawmakers to be civil, polite and wellmannered in their debates and not turn proceedings into a circus. He said should any assemblyman not follow the regulations, the Speaker should take stern action to order them out of the assembly hall. In the Dewan Rakyat, profanities have been hurled a number of times recently, forcing the Speaker to issue a warning. With the majority of the assemblymen being from Pakatan Harapan, Sultan Ibrahim said Johor has entered a new page in its history.