YOURSAY | ‘If the ex-PM is found guilty, does the Treasury then get a refund?’

Putrajaya honoured RM1m golden handshake for Najib

Apa Ini: Why did Putrajaya honour the RM1 million golden handshake for former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak, even if it is required to by law?

Aren't golden handshakes given in recognition of good service? How did Najib do that by allegedly robbing the nation’s coffers to fill his own?

If he is going to get RM1 million, it should be through a fake cheque.

Let Truth and Justice Prevail: Indeed, why is it that someone who is being charged with the greatest kleptocracy case the world has ever seen was rewarded with an RM1 million golden handshake?

Shouldn’t the money be kept in a trust account, only to be released if, and only if, he is ever proven innocent?

And shouldn’t all accounts linked to him be frozen without exception in any case, given the nature of the charges he is facing?

Appum: If Najib is found guilty of misappropriating funds, does the Treasury then get back the RM1 million?

And whoever who approved this golden handshake, please enlighten us taxpayers as to why this was even honoured.

Kangkung: With a gross annual income of RM703,261.80, according to the testimony of the deputy chief accountant at the Prime Minister's Department, how was Najib able to afford the estimated RM1.1 billion worth of valuables seized by the police from Pavilion Residences last June?

He must really have the Midas touch.

Roger 5201: RM1 million is not a big deal, considering 1MDB CEO Arul Kanda Kandasamy was also given the same amount for selling the company’s income-generating assets, while getting the Finance Ministry to pay off its debt – with some help from the then-finance minister.

SSDhaliwal: The then-prime minister must have consulted the then-finance minister, who approved the golden handshake.

The only surprise here is the relatively modest amount he approved for himself.

Witness: Unusual approval process for KWAP's RM4b loan to SRC

Anonymous_s: What we now know is that the Retirement Fund Inc (KWAP) approved SRC International Sdn Bhd’s application for loans worth RM4 billion in total, even without supporting documents – save for a handwritten note from Najib.

But this probably comprises less than one percent of the total loot. Can Bank Negara and all other relevant authorities dig this up, as loads are probably hidden via proxies in all corners of the globe?

In all of his court appearances, you always see Najib smiling in photos; for what is this one percent when there’s probably so much more tucked away.

Clever Voter: Perhaps this explains why there have been so many apologists for the previous regime.

The food chain looks to be endless, with so many dependents and beneficiaries everywhere.

KWAP money doesn’t belong to the board. It cannot be used for loans to SRC International just because it was guaranteed by the then-BN government.

Shifting cash from the left to the right pocket just won’t do. The lesson to learn here is never trust politicians, especially when it comes to money.

Anonymous 1551583231: Let me try and ‘Najib’ out of this one: “The prime minister did not know what the loan was for, but his advisers, whose names he has forgotten, told him to write and sign this personal note to KWAP because it would benefit the rakyat.

“Therefore, Najib is innocent, and the KWAP department head should be investigated instead, but alas, he is no longer with the government. Clearly, this is part of a conspiracy by certain parties to destroy Najib's reputation as the Bossku of the rakyat."

Boyeng: Now everyone can get KWAP money! Fast approval, no documentation required, no due diligence, no business plan and no credit reports needed. And best of all, no need to pay back.

Satu lagi projek BN (another project by BN).

Anonymous 218374671: And there are civil servants still supporting Bossku? KWAP is their pension money. But, of course, they expect taxpayers to pay for the missing RM4 billion.

EPU shot down 1MDB's three-page proposal for RM3b grant

Anonymous Observer: Najib, the finance minister who was also the prime minister at the material time, should not have forwarded 1MDB’s flimsy and ridiculous proposal for an RM3 billion grant to establish SRC International to the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) in the first place.

He knowingly tried to use his position to influence the decision-making process to secure the huge sum of money – as Kamariah Noruddin, formerly of the EPU, described as seven percent of the government's development allocation for the year.

Clever Voter: Such stories are not new. The difference is that this is official testimony from an ex-EPU deputy director.

It's no surprise that Najib treated the nation’s Treasury as if it was his own cash till. The same goes for every crooked leader. Look what happened to Sudan’s Omar al-Bashir. Najib should be grateful that the rule of law applies here.

Boeyks: We are very fortunate to have had a civil servant like Kamariah who discharged her duties responsibly. She did not blindly comply with her superiors’ request for the RM3 billion grant to be approved.

Anonymous_1527925538: At least the EPU seems to be doing its job.

Roar for Truth: Yes, we salute Kamariah and the other officers in EPU who withstood the pressure from the then-minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nor Mohamed Yakcop.

Although RM20 million was given out in the end, at least the country saved RM2.8 billion at the time.

Roger 5201: So the EPU rejected the RM3 billion request, but still granted RM20 million for the establishment of SRC International?

What was the sum for? Was the RM20 million even asked for, and more importantly, was it paid back?

NNFC: Instead of just remarking that the proposal for the RM3 billion was just three pages long, show us what is in the document, who signed it, and what was wrong with it.

Watchdog: RM1 billion per page. That’s some expensive paper.

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