Umno MP Reezal Merican Naina is up in arms over 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB)-linked businessman Jho Low’s claim that Umno are "spin masters".

Low said this in an interview with portal Euromoney , after months of being accused of taking a cut from 1MDB’s business deals.

"I am personally sickened by Low who is trying to blame Umno for 1MDB’s woes. Blaming Umno is the way of the coward and someone who is bankrupt of ideas. [...]

"Throughout this episode, Low has been silent and not replied to allegations. Is this the mark of a responsible man or a coward who is frantically hiding?" Reezal asked in a statement.

The statement comes after Umno Youth demanded an investigation against Low, following his remarks.

The MP demanded that the thirty-something Penangite "return to Malaysia and openly face the Public Accounts Committee and media."

Reezal said Low cannot claim he has nothing to do with 1MDB since his name has been mentioned in relation to the state investment firm even within business circles.

"Don’t be a coward. Come out and defend yourself. Don’t try to fool Umno while trying to defend this 1MDB issue," he said.

"I am reminding Low to watch your mouth [...] Umno has no time to engage in spin as he claims."

'Blame the Chinaman'

1MDB is under public scrutiny due to its whopping RM42 billion debt.

The government last month said it extended the fully-owned finance ministry firm RM950 million standing credit to help with its cash flow issues.

Sarawak Report in an expose cited leaked emails to allege that US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) of 1MDB’s investment into a now defunct joint venture with Saudi firm PetroSaudi went to Low’s company Good Star Limited.

PetroSaudi denies this while Low responded to the expose by decrying he was caught in political crossfire. He did not deny his firm benefitted from the 1MDB-PetroSaudi deal in 2009.

In the latest interview with Euromoney , Low lamented that the “Umno guys are spin masters” and are attacking him from all corners over 1MDB.

"Are you telling me the prime minister doesn't make his own decisions? That the ministry, the minister of finance, who is the prime minister – and there are only two to three people in the Finance Ministry that sign off on shareholder resolutions under law – that none of them... that they just signed without evaluating it?" he asked.

He said critics were also trying blame it on the "Chinaman" who "stole all the money and blew it on alcohol".

"And then I'm just like, I must be the dumbest person ever, if I really made money off the government and then to blow it like there is no tomorrow, it's like about the dumbest thing you can do.”

                                                 

While he was on the board of Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA) which was later transformed into 1MDB, he said other board members and advisors like investment banks Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan were left off the hook.

He said he was only consulted on prospective 1MDB business deals because he had knowledge of businesses in the Middle East

He said he has been friends with Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s stepson for 16 years but is hardly best friends with PM’s wife and Riza's mother Rosmah Mansor.

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