No risk for Najib to travel overseas, says Azalina

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PARLIAMENT Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak faces no risk travelling overseas despite several foreign authorities having launched investigations into the scandalous and debt-laden 1MDB, Putrajaya says.

"Lately, there were efforts by certain quarters in the country to rope in foreign agencies to investigate the business transactions of 1MDB.

"However, such efforts will not affect the prime minister's responsibilities, which also demand that he travels overseas," Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Azalina Othman Said said.

Azalina ( photo ) said this in a written reply yesterday to Ng Wei Aik (DAP-Tanjong) who asked if Najib faced any risks travelling overseas, since many foreign authorites have launched investigations into the 1MDB scandal.

"Please state the country the prime minister cannot visit, if there is any," Ng asked.

Azalina (BN-Pengerang) said those behind the foreign reports were driven by political interest, with an intention of tarnishing the image of the prime minister, which would in turn affect confidence in the government as well as that of foreign investors in Malaysia's stability.

However, she did not name anyone in the written reply.

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has said that Najib potentially faces arrest abroad .

Both former Umno leader Khairuddin Abu Hassan and his lawyer Matthias Chang have been detain under Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma) and later charged under Section 124L of the Penal Code for attempting to sabotage Malaysia's banking and financial system in relation to the 1MDB issue.

An embattled Najib is facing calls for his resignation as prime minister over the discovery of RM2.6 billion in his personal bank accounts.

Najib has denied taking public funds for personal gain while his supporters claim the money was a "political donation" from the Middle East.

It has been reported that Switzerland, UK, US, France, Hong Kong and Singapore have initiated money-llaundering investigations related to 1MDB.



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