The decision to clear Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak of corruption could open the doors to others with “dubious intent” to escape the law, former minister Rafidah Aziz said.
Najib was yesterday cleared of any wrongdoing in the investigations into the RM2.6 billion found in his bank accounts and the RM42 million channelled to him from state-owned firm SRC International Sdn Bhd.
“I am not a lawyer, but the attorney-general should be prepared to explain the details and the implications of the decision.
“Is it a precedent set now on how donations channelled to individuals through private accounts can be returned, not necessarily in full, and the slate is regarded clean?” Rafidah asked in a Facebook posting.
“I hope that this will not open avenues for all kinds of interpretation, that people with dubious intent will use to get out of whatever violation of the law and regulations they have got themselves into,” she said.
She said while she understands how Najib would want to “move on”, the rest of the nation is still grappling with how the attorney-general came to the conclusion that there has been no wrongdoing.
Others have also asked her what had happened to the funds Najib had used, Rafidah said, as no explanation was offered by the authorities.
Attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali said yesterday Najib received US$681 million from the Saudi royal family, and returned US$620 million.
British news channel BBC today quoted sources close to the Saudi royal family as saying that the donation was for the 2013 general election, but the state is reported by The Wall Street Journal to be in the dark over it.
However, Rafidah, who was a long-serving Wanita Umno chief, said Umno has functioned well for decades, on the back of unpaid party volunteers.
“Perhaps the most important lesson that the PM would have learnt is never to go around seeking political donations from anyone that cannot be explained clearly at first glance, and needs a long time to explain… no matter how dire the needs for the funds,” she said.
“Nothing is ever a simple open-and-shut case. Let honesty and integrity always be the guide and motivator... The Almighty God is all-seeing and all-knowing.”
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