YOURSAY | ‘Then you use funds from other sources to fill the hole. How did that make it okay?’

I prevented M'sia from defaulting, claims 'conscience clear' Najib

Anonymous_b3cdcd05: 1MDB borrowed more than RM40 billion and with interest, about RM50 billion.

According to Public Accounts Committee (PAC), about RM22 billion in borrowings/investments could not be traced or accounted for. According to the US Department of Justice (DOJ), almost US$4.5 billion of 1MDB funds were stolen, squandered or laundered.

The US figure more or less ties up with that of the PAC findings above. Neither Najib Abdul Razak nor former 1MDB president and CEO Arul Kanda Kandasamy is able to explain the discrepancies - what happened to the bulk of the borrowed monies, where it was invested or its returns. Neither are the appointed 1MDB auditors of any help.

Arul Kanda's standard reply these last three years has been that “the police are holding the files”. Meanwhile, Najib maintains that his conscience is clear and that he did what he did to save the nation and neither he nor Treasury secretary-general Irwan Serigar Abdullah benefited from diverting government funds to cover these 1MDB holes.

As the disgraced Umno president and prime minister, Najib's mentality and level of accountability are disgustingly shocking, to say the least. Not to worry folks, the best is yet to come from Najib. Get to the ringside. Let the show begin.

Vijay47: Yes, all this sounds very patriotic and in the national interest. 

Since the switching of funds was an act of heroism to stave off default by the country, why was it denied all this while in the face of ferocious criticism regarding how you were managing the country's funds? 

Had we known, we would have put up your statues all over the place. 

But far more importantly, please share with us why scheduled payments could not be made in the first place and how we ended up in this mess that never was, as you and Arul Kanda had always claimed. 

You have nothing to fear, Najib, since the BR1M funds were merely channelled to areas with higher priorities, as your counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah has brilliantly pointed out; no court would find you guilty.

Pemerhati Bebas: What kind of logic is that? Before this, Najib claimed he left the country with a clean bill of financial health, but now he said the country would have gone to the dogs if he did not do what he did.

Finally, he admits that the nation's financial standing was not as good as what he claimed it to be. This man has no shame at all.

Hope: You dug a hole, then you use funds from other sources to fill the hole. How did that make it okay?

It would have been the perfect cover-up if you were still the prime minister-cum- finance minister. Unfortunately, two wrongs don't make a right. Your logic is completely wrong.

Cogito Ergo Sum: In other words, did you steal state money to plug a hole that you created by your imprudence?

The word “stole” is used because you did not get the proper approvals from the cabinet and moved money approved by Parliament for one purpose to pay for another.

Is that not the definition of criminal breach of trust?

Slumdog: It’s very noble and commendable of Najib to prevent Malaysia from defaulting on a debt, a debt he created by allegedly putting his hand in the cookie jar.

Since when does he make decisions in the interest of the nation? So “in context of when you receive certain money, you will have to pay it back”, when did he plan to pay back money allegedly allocated for BR1M, funds he took for managing the Kuala Lumpur International Airport and funds received from a "foreign entity in China".

Panorama123: Large and material sum of monies cannot be diverted and re-channelled based on “executive” decisions by Najib or former Treasury secretary-general Irwan Serigar Abdullah.

Moreover, 1MDB has always insisted that it is solvent and has sufficient internal funds, as stated by its CEO.

If the decision to re-channel funds was based on transparency and adequate prior official approval from cabinet and Parliament, it would be acceptable. Otherwise, the executive would have breached the trust placed in it.

Bornean: Saving Malaysia from a default? Then you have just confirmed you were the worst finance minister in the country's history.

Shouldn't you have budgeted these repayments in your annual budget? Or did you not dare to reveal these debts in Parliament?

Anonymous 2439891477538802: Laws and regulations are there for a reason. Shifting funds around the Consolidated Funds are prohibited under the Finance Act and Financial Procedure Act. This is to prevent fraudulent and unauthorised expenditure of public money meant for a specific purpose.

It appears Najib has breached these regulations and in accordance with the rule of law, he has to answer for his malfeasance in court.

He says he did it to save Malaysia. We'd like to know: he is saving the country from what? If it is not a stretch, it is from his gross negligence, mismanagement and possible fraudulent siphoning of money from 1MDB, money which remains to be owed to Middle Eastern parties which were concocted by Jho Low with Najib's blessing.

Oxymoronictendencies: Najib, clearly you are confused. Certainly, you are going to go down in history as the man who led Malaysia to the brink of bankruptcy.

Undoubtedly, you created the situation, whether for personal gain or otherwise, by agreeing to the deals you agreed to.

You then allegedly tried to hide and deny there was anything wrong, and in the process almost bankrupt the nation.

This is no longer about “personal gain”, this is about your failure to exercise your fiduciary responsibilities to the rakyat, and your alleged efforts to “hide” the gaping financial hole of your making and pretending nothing was wrong.

So far, we have not heard a single word from you acknowledging it, or any remorse. The longer you persist with the denial that you did anything wrong, the more stupid you make yourself look.

Pahatian: You did it for the nation? What about the money in your bank account? The money stashed in your house and everywhere? The diamonds and handbags?

Were all these also in order to save the nation from default? Tell it to the Marines.

Léon Moch: I dig a hole, I take your sand to cover the hole. But you must thank me for preventing the hole from remaining uncovered. Even though it was dug by me.

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