YOURSAY ‘Time may be running out on him - everything seems to be...’
Najib still weighing his legal options
Odin Tajué: There is nothing to be considered. The assertion made by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) is very clear - some RM2.67 billion has been transferred into his personal bank accounts.
He has not denied this, and, therefore, the assertion is taken as true. He has said the money was not for his personal gain. Even if that is true, it is completely immaterial.
The fact remains that he has committed a grave offence - allegedly stealing public funds, and in the billions, to boot.
No, he won't sue WSJ. His lawyers will - if they haven't already - be sure to advise strongly against it. They must be sane and intelligent enough to tell that his goose is not just cooked but charred beyond recognition.
Sali Tambap: PM Najib Razak has sued lesser opponents for much less accusation. This time around, WSJ are not quite a match that he would think they are.
On the surface, it was very plain to see - WSJ had named the banks and the companies that remitted the money. There shouldn't be any hesitation from Najib to sue if indeed all those were false.
It is basically a matter of a 'yes' or 'no'. Thus, what's the problem? Why the hesitation? Go ahead, make a unequivocal and firm endeavour that he will sue. No need to think anymore.
So much is at stake - the country’s economy, the dignity of the prime minister and of course ultimately, the person of Najib Abdul Razak. ‘Berani kerana benar’, that is, if so.
FellowMalaysian: Being forced into a corner, there's little else Najib can come up with than to face his detractors face-on, and in the courts.
Najib will go down in history as the first Malaysian ruling prime minister who will stand trial in a US court; albeit as a plaintiff.
While waiting for court proceedings, Najib must take leave from his duties as the country's PM with immediate effect.
Vijay47: Who are Najib's advisors? It is depressing to see the prime minister of your country hiding and dancing around the mulberry bush in this evasive manner.
It is not just body language and choice of words that reveal one's state of mind and perhaps even innocence, but also what one does or does not.
In view of almost worldwide interest in his current predicament, any public figure worth his salt would have grabbed the chance to face the public, come out fighting and present his strong, confident rebuttal of accusations against him.
He would gladly field any number of questions, tough and probing as they could be, to present his side of the picture. Instead, we once again sadly see Najib Razak being Najib Razak.
Justine Gow: Assuming that he is not really going to sue but has to been seen as taking some action against WSJ, I would think that the only thing he can do now is to stall for a bit of time, play it by the ear and hope for a miracle.
But time may be running out on him - everything seems to be increasingly uphill for him during the last few weeks.
At the moment, the only thing that may be slightly in his favour is that the law enforcement agencies have to overcome some inertia in order to act.
But as it becomes more and more obvious that he is losing grip of his power, they may be less reluctant to act against him.
Bluemountains: What is there for him to weigh? The matter is pretty straightforward. The WSJ report is either true or false. Nothing more, nothing less. If true, just resign. If false, sue them.
Joe Lee: Unfortunately for Najib, it's the WSJ, and not a local media organisation that he can easily whack with any number of trumped up charges.
Somebody in the Malaysian investigative teams has leaked the documents to the WSJ - what is their motivation, and was the person/s paid to do so? And if so, who paid them?
It’s a bit academic now; the cat is already out of the bag.
Anonymous #59879079: If WSJ is publishing rubbish about the US$700 million, then a simple and most effective solution is to show the AmBank statement of that account (for the period the money was transacted) that WSJ published and prove there is no such amount.
Sure this is confidential but if your neck is on the block, it does not matter. The fact that Najib dares not do this means that account has the alleged money. Indeed, it is immaterial for him to state that he did not use the money for personal gain.
The fact is that the US$700 million is in his account when it should not have been. Better start packing and fire up the jet for a quick getaway.
Anonymous_1421806811: I don't think Najib will sue the WSJ or Sarawak Report . If he is determined in his resolve to clear his name, he would have sued former PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Sarawak Report a long time ago.
Even the AG (attorney-general) himself has confirmed seeing the money trail as alleged by WSJ.
My guess is he will continue to avoid answering directly the question of whether he has huge transfers of funds into his AmBank account and put on a sad and pathetic face and claim he is innocent of all charges as he cares deeply for Malaysia.
SameSame: If this had happened to any other country, their PM would have resigned. Not in ours.
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