PARLIAMENT | Pakatan Harapan MPs today questioned the government's lack of action against the Indonesian media's use of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's name in relation to the luxury yacht Equanimity's seizure.

Johari Abdul (PKR-Sungai Petani) said in Parliament today that despite being in the opposition, he still respected Najib as the country's prime minister.

"But the Indonesian media repeatedly and every day, almost every half an hour would say the yacht that was seized has a connection with Malaysia's prime minister. They mention Najib Razak, Najib Razak.

"Even though I am an opposition MP, I get irritated because there is no statement from Malaysia or even a note of protest over the reference used by the Indonesian media."

He then asked his Harapan colleague Khalid Samad (Amanah-Shah Alam) for his opinion on whether the government did not dare to take action or something was wrong somewhere.

Khalid (photo) admitted that the matter was more hurtful as the seizure had occurred in a neighbouring country.

"We used to hold our heads up high when we go to Indonesia back then (because) we are better and more developed.

"Today, when we go to Indonesia, the Indonesians grin sarcastically at us, they laugh at us."

As such, Khalid said action should be taken if the matter was indeed fake news and that Najib's name should not have been mentioned.

"Take action instead of keeping quiet and ignoring it as though we are deaf and mute.

"(But) I think a deaf and mute person is not fit to be prime minister," he added.

The Indonesian police and the US Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) seized the yacht in Bali, last week.

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) claims that businessperson Low Taek Jho, or Jho Low, had commissioned the Equanimity to be built for an estimated US$250 million (RM1 billion), using money allegedly misappropriated from 1MDB.

Low is a close acquaintance of Riza Aziz - who is Najib's stepson.

The DOJ believes that at least US$4.5 billion has been misappropriated from 1MDB by Malaysian government officials, among others, and is looking to recover approximately US$1.7 billion in assets allegedly acquired in the US using these stolen funds.

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