An Umno supreme council member has said it is known that the party president has party accounts under his name, but how much is in it is never asked.

 

“We know that there is an Umno bank account and accounts (under the president’s own name), which are operating expense accounts.

 

“There are accounts held in the name of leaders like the president or state liaison chairpersons,” said supreme council member and Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Tajuddin Abdul Rahman.

 

"We have taken note of the matter (revelations of RM2.6 billion in Prime Minister Najib Razak’s personal accounts).

 

“We know. But how much, we do not ask. We trust in our leaders," he said at the opening of the Ampang Umno Wanita annual general meeting at the Ampang Umno office hall today.

 

Tajuddin, who is also Pasir Salak MP, said the entire supreme council knew about the president’s private accounts.

 

However he admitted he did not know the details concerning the accounts.

Weeks after Wall Street Journal alleged that funds from state-owned 1MDB had been transferred into Najib’s personal accounts, the PM finally admitted that the money comprised “party donations” from a foreign source.

 

Najib yesterday claimed the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has therefore cleared him of any corruption allegations, a claim that opposition MPs have disputed.

Party secret

 

“He (the president) is allowed under the party constitution to hold the account […]

 

“There is no question about why it’s in his private accounts.

 

“Those private accounts are held in trust (for the party), not for his own personal use,” claimed Tajuddin.

 

“We know he has a private account as mentioned, but we never ask what the account number is, which bank it is in. It’s not like that,” he stressed.

 

When asked if the supreme council knows where the funds are eventually channelled, Tajuddin said that is a party secret.

 

“All parties, PKR, DAP, PAS all know where their party funds are spent. It’s their secret.

 

“If we tell all the details, then it’s like we bare ourselves,” he added.