COMMENT | The convict who seeks to rewrite 1MDB narrative

COMMENT | Yesterday, former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak told the Dewan Rakyat that not a single sen of public funds has been used by the government to repay the principal amount of 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) debts.

He said this is because various entities including Goldman Sachs, audit firms KPMG and Deloitte, Ambank and the US Department of Justice (DOJ) had returned 1MDB funds totalling RM23 billion to Malaysia.

Really? Are we in la-la land? End of the story? No cost to Malaysians? Have we recovered all the stolen money? So, no need to make provisions for debt servicing and repayments?

What is Najib trying to tell us? Is he saying the loot has been recovered and we, Malaysians, should adopt a “forgive and forget” stance?

Are expected to say “thank you” and assume that the slate has been wiped clean? Does everybody have to pretend that the biggest act of kleptocracy never happened?

This may be one of his ways to stay in the news and appear relevant after the court described him as a “national embarrassment”.

However, the inevitable questions he should answer are:

• Why would anyone return money to the government if it was not stolen in the first place?

• Under whose watch was the money stolen?

• What was his role in the theft?

Are we going to Round Two of a misinformation campaign starting with him and his cronies following suit?

Last month, Communications and Multimedia Minister Annuar Musa has issued a warning to the media, telling them to abide by journalism ethics and the country's laws. He said reports that violate the laws or someone's rights could result in consequences.

Are we being given a prelude to the drama that will unfold? At the height of reports from foreign agencies stating that money from 1MDB was stolen, newspapers were ordered not to publish any related news.

This is precisely how Najib reacted in 2015 when the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) was transferred into his personal accounts from 1MDB. He threatened to sue the newspaper for defamation but nothing happened and despite the bravado and chest-thumping, it just petered off.

Night of long knives

Remember the time when the DOJ released its findings on 1MDB? The immediate response from the then communications and multimedia minister Salleh Said Keruak was: “The Americans are influenced by the opposition, seeking foreign intervention for political purposes.”

Then there was BN strategic communications director Abdul Rahman Dahlan who said the opposition was intent on continuing their programme of undermining the country’s economy using 1MDB.

Government institutions were roped in to discredit the reports and suppress the truth. Even the police joined the fray.

Then inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar said the police would investigate how the WSJ got hold of the secret banking documents used to back up its report in the first place.

“We will investigate the leak of confidential banking documents. Such action is tantamount to economic sabotage,” he was then quoted as saying.

Then, there was a night of long knives when the serving attorney-general was unceremoniously removed and the head of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission sent off to start a new faculty at UiTM!

All this may have been water under the bridge in view of the testimony by various officials and voluminous documents produced in court.

But Najib’s claim contradicts the Finance Ministry which said the government has repaid RM13.3 billion of 1MDB's debt so far, with RM38.81 billion still outstanding as of Dec 31 last year.

The ministry said the misappropriated funds, which it has seized mand recovered from multiple jurisdictions totalling RM19.1 billion, are only enough to cover repayments for this year.

(Two of the bonds amounting to about RM14.5 billion will mature this year, which will require the government to repay the full sum. The first will mature in May and the other in October.)

If the thieving which started 10 years ago had been nipped in the bud when Najib was prime minister and finance minister, we won’t be in the financial mess we are in.

If the money had not been stolen, it could have been used to improve the quality of life of Malaysians. How many hospitals could we have built? How many schools could have been built? How much more could be given to the needy?

Having been found guilty and repenting as well as taking responsibility for the mess created by his actions or inaction, Najib is lecturing us on government finances, which the country cannot accept – especially from a convicted felon.

By the way, someone remarked that there’s no thief like a popular thief. How true.

• COMMENT | Dear Najib, you should hang your head in shame

R NADESWARAN is a veteran journalist and writes on bread-and-butter issues. Comments: citizen.nades22@gmail.com.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.

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