Najib's leaked conversations won't affect BN in Kimanis - Zahid

KIMANIS POLLS | The MACC exposure of conversations involving former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak, his wife Rosmah Mansor and others will not impact the BN's campaign in Kimanis, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said.

Zahid, who is also BN chairperson, said he was confident that Kimanis voters would be able to evaluate and make wise decisions.

"I do not see voters in Kimanis being affected by the alleged exposure of investigative materials made by the enforcement body."

He took a shot at the timing of the revelations saying that law enforcement bodies should stick to their mandate.

"I think that any law enforcement body should stick to its own territory and not become a political tool... especially to divert issues during any by-election or by-election campaign.

"For me, voters in Kimanis are wise enough to evaluate... and these issues do not affect their confidence in the BN candidate," Zahid said when met after a rally in Kimanis last night.

Also present were former Kimanis MP Anifah Aman and Sabah BN leader Bung Moktar Radin.

Yesterday, the MACC released audio recordings of several telephone conversations involving Najib and related to the 1MDB scandal.

Among them were calls between him and former MACC chief Dzulkifli Ahmad.

Others included conversations between Najib and high-ranking individuals from the United Arab Emirates, concerning the US Department of Justice's 1MDB civil forfeiture suits and funds channelled to Najib's stepson Riza Aziz.

There was also a recording of a conversation between Najib and his irate wife Rosmah Mansor.

Najib, who was met by journalists in court after the disclosure was made by the MACC, said he was shocked and his laywer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said they were mulling legal action.

Meanwhile, Zahid commented on Sabah Chief Minister Mohd Shafie Apdal's statement that former prime minister Abdul Razak Hussein was a failure when he was rural development minister.

"Any views on the people who founded this ministry and who have done things in their time need not be brought up or raised. Let us value his services as a rural minister," he said.

Shafie, while campaigning in Kimanis, insisted that if he failed to develop Sabah as claimed by BN, this means that Abdul Razak also failed as a rural minister.

Meanwhile, in his speech, Zahid said the BN had promised to fully implement the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) if it regained control of Putrajaya. He said this despite the fact Umno and BN voted against the MA63 amendments brought before Parliament in April 2019.