COMMENT From one story to another, we were told why the RM2.6 billion sum of money - a sum close to that of the Selangor state budget - was donated by a royal family in the Middle East to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

Initially, it was someone from the Middle East, then a royal family, after that the late King Abdullah, and finally, we were told that it was donated by one of the princes of the late king.

No one, including senior politicians in Umno, knew about the money until the expose had been made by the Wall Street Journal . As Malaysian citizens, we, too, are eager to find out the truth - especially since there could be connections linking it to a major scandal in this country.

Islam prohibits anyone from taking money dishonestly from the public coffers. Since the scandal was exposed, Najib claimed that he had received the money but did not use it as the beneficiary. Yet when he was challenged to swear by the Quran, he has surprisingly not done so.

First, we heard that the money was to reward Malaysia for fighting against the IS, which Najib had initially praised, saying that their courage was worth emulating.

This is interesting, because it was only recently that we have heard our soldiers being involved in a joint-military training led by the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Except for several individuals who have fought for IS, Malaysians are not particularly known for fighting against it, whether individual or military wise.

After all, if individuals had been involved in fighting against the IS, and the money was to reward Malaysia for helping in the fight, why would Najib be the only one to receive the donation? Why not the families of those who have sacrificed their lives, fighting against the IS?

Moreover, why was part of the money used in the last general election instead of being given to the people who actually fought IS? In fact, the embassy should be the one giving out awards in cash to show the solidarity between Saudi Arabia and the people of Malaysia.

The EC has failed

For so many years that the Saudi embassy is here in Malaysia, perhaps it is time for the embassy to dish out some scholarships to students who need the money badly to continue their education?

Then, we learnt that the money was used to fund the last general election in 2013. Why was it given to only the prime minister (who simultaneously heads BN)? What if the opposition coalition takes over Putrajaya? Would they still maintain good relations with Saudi Arabia?

In a country where there are election laws in place - despite hearing that millions of ringgit was spent on the last general election - the Election Commission (EC) has failed to carry out an investigation to see if any election laws had been flouted.

By funnelling RM2.6 billion into Najib’s account, if what we hear is true, then a prince from the kingdom of Saudi Arabia had indeed interfered into the national affairs of another sovereign state. Is this sanctioned by the kingdom of Saudi Arabia?

What vested interests did the prince have when he gave Najib the political donations? What could be his reason for giving such a huge sum of money secretly to one individual - who is also the head of another sovereign nation?

If the rest of the money had been returned , then we want to know how the money was being channelled back - without Bank Negara even knowing about it and making the necessary enquiries. Why all the secrecy until the whole scandal is now hoarding international headlines?

Now that the Gabungan Ketua Cawangan Umno (GKCM) has submitted a memorandum , the onus is on the Saudi Arabia embassy in Kuala Lumpur to respond to 10 ten questions being raised.

When the names of the late King Abdullah, his son, and Saudi Arabia have been dragged into the 1MDB scandal, the embassy cannot just give a “diplomatic” or “politically correct” answer. The media would immediately pick it up.

It would be worse if the embassy is found to be lying or trying to evade from telling us the truth, as the kingdom of Saudi will then be dragged along with them.

If honesty is a virtue extolled by Islam, Saudi Arabia - as the guardian of the Islamic faith - must, therefore, not be caught telling lies. Let honesty be the principle guiding the embassy’s response to the 10 questions submitted by representatives of GKCM (who are notably also Muslims).

As a Christian, I believe that my Muslim “cousins” are equally interested in pursuing the truth, and not being engaged with a pack of lies - especially in this day and age when even communications between any embassy and its government can be leaked through Wikileaks.

No one is spared! In the name of public interest, anything can be leaked.

Silence would not reflect well

GKCM has raised three very important questions, and I would like to add to these questions with a few of my own:

1. Why the uncertainty and doubt over the money?

Is this money possibly part of a money laundering scheme that the late King Abdullah or his family were involved with, in order to avoid being detected? Is this how the late king dealt with his family’s finances? Is the practice of transferring huge sums of money to an individual happening all the time?

2. Who was the Saudi prince said to be the donor?

Was the late King Abdullah even aware that his prince was the generous donor? If yes, what was his advice to him? Or, was the money from the king’s own coffers something that he was not aware of?

3. What is the relationship between the Saudi prince and Najib?

If the allegations about money laundering were true, what is the Saudi prince’s role then? Where did the money originate from? If the prince was the donor, would he be prepared to swear by the Quran that he had no motive but to donate generously to Najib and his coalition?

The Saudi embassy in Malaysia can choose to remain silent, but it will not reflect well on Saudi Arabia as a nation - which promotes truth and honesty. So in the name of justice and truth, let the embassy tell us what the kingdom of Saudi Arabia knows.

STEPHEN NG is an ordinary citizen with an avid interest in following political developments in the country since 2008.