Najib still can't afford to pay RM50m fine even if assets unfrozen – son

Najib Abdul Razak’s family is still trying to raise the RM50 million he must pay before he can serve the rest of his prison sentence at home, said his eldest son, Nizar Najib.

While unfreezing the former prime minister’s assets could help, Nizar (above) stated that it would still not enable him to settle the fine immediately.

He said the amount was too large to raise quickly and that Najib’s ability to pay depended on the contributions collected.

The payment is the condition separating Najib from house arrest under a recent Federal Territories Pardons Board decision.

Umno has launched a fundraising campaign, but its total collection remains unclear.

“Whether my father can afford to pay it depends on how much is collected. The stipulated amount must be paid before he can obtain a house arrest order, and that is what we are working towards.

“If his assets were not frozen, that might help somewhat in raising the money. But the reality is that we still have much to do before we reach that amount,” Nizar added.

The Peramu Jaya assemblyperson was speaking at a Pekan Umno press conference in Pahang last night, before a meeting of the division’s political bureau.

Najib, 73, is serving a prison sentence after being convicted on seven charges involving RM42 million in SRC International funds. His original 12-year sentence and RM210 million fine were reduced to six years and RM50 million.

The Pardons Board recently allowed him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028, provided he pays the fine.

‘Cannot please everyone’

Asked about criticism of Umno’s fundraising campaign, Nizar said it was impossible to please everyone.

“Some people don’t like it, but whatever the circumstances, we should be grateful.

“It turns out that many Malaysians still care for my father and feel moved to help,” he added.

Nizar stressed that Umno had launched the fund on its own initiative, without a request from his family.

“Contributors are not limited to one group. They come from various backgrounds, races and segments of society.

“This shows that my father’s past contributions meant something to them. Many may disagree and say all sorts of things about him, call him all sorts of names, but to me, those contributions remain,” he said.

READ MORE: From Brunei to Italy, Najib's RM50m fine draws donors from far and wide, says Rosmah

Pekan Umno chief Fakhruddin Ariff said the division had raised more than RM26,000 for Najib.

“This amount was raised in less than a week, and I am confident it will grow over time.

“We have more than 28,000 Umno members in Pekan. We also believe many residents in the district want to make sincere contributions to the fund in appreciation of Najib’s service as the Pekan MP,” he said.

Yesterday, Najib’s lawyer Shafee Abdullah (above) said Najib had never asked the public to help pay the fine and felt uncomfortable doing so.

READ MORE: Lawyer says Najib in RM50m bind - not enough personal funds, torn over raising public money

Shafee also reiterated that Najib’s bank accounts had been frozen, including the account previously used to receive his salary as prime minister and MP.

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