Umno veteran expects scapegoat to own up as US$700 million donor
BY NABIHAH HAMID
Published: 6 August 2015 8:59 PM
A scapegoat will admit to having donated the US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) that was found to be in Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's personal accounts, says former secretary-general of Umno, Tan Sri Sanusi Junid. – The Malaysian Insider filepicpic, August 6, 2015.
An Umno veteran leader expects a scapegoat to admit having donated the US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) that was found to be in Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's personal accounts.
Former secretary-general Tan Sri Sanusi Junid said he was not surprised by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's announcement that the money came from a foreign donor and not from state strategic investor 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
"It is something expected and not a surprise. I am sure they will look for a rich individual to admit that he or she had donated the money," he told The Malaysian Insider via SMS.
He said it is hard to believe that an individual can fork out so much money for a donation.
"What is clear is that if the donor is a Malaysian, it is not just one person. A billionaire could not even afford to donate such a large amount," said the federal minister who served under former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's administration in the 1980s.
"They have to find people who are based overseas like the Sultan of Brunei, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet or those of their level. Or Arab royalty and their children."
Sanusi said businessmen would not donate such as amount without hoping for something in return.
"Then it will not be a donation," he added.
"Unless we hire someone and pay them very well until they are willing to admit they are the donors. But it has to be someone who is credible and can be trusted," he said.
Sanusi expressed confidence that the donation did not come from Umno members as usually, the annual fees are paid by the division chiefs.
The former Kedah Menteri Besar also cynically said that only those with a high Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) in university will be "used" to find the individual who is willing to be a scapegoat.
"Have to find a leader with CGPA 3.85 to look for the donor," he said.
Sanusi did not mention any names, but Umno minister Datuk Ahmad Maslan, who has courted scorn and ridicule on the Internet over his attempts to explain to the public how the unpopular goods and services tax (GST) worked, was dubbed Ahmad "CGPA 3.85", after he wrote on Twitter that he was not so stupid as he had earned a 3.85 CGPA in his Master of Business Administration.
On Monday, MACC said the US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) which was channelled into Najib's personal bank accounts came from donors and not from 1MDB.
The anti-graft agency also confirmed that the donor is from the Middle East, but did not name the source. MACC also said it would ask Najib to provide an explanation on the donation.
Allegations of RM2.67 billion in Najib's accounts first surfaced in a report by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on July 2, citing documents from Malaysian investigators.
WSJ said the source of the funds was unknown, but came through 1MDB-linked entities in various tranches, the largest of which – US$681 million – was channelled to Najib's accounts in March 2013, ahead of the general election in May that year.
The prime minister denied taking 1MDB funds for personal use, but did not directly address the fund transfers.
A few of Najib's Cabinet members had previously said that there was nothing wrong in money being funnelled into his personal accounts as he had the capacity to be a trustee for Umno, of which he is president. – August 6, 2015.
- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/umno-veteran-expects-scapegoat-to-own-up-as-us700-million-donor#sthash.yGjQtLd9.dpuf
BY NABIHAH HAMID
Published: 6 August 2015 8:59 PM
An Umno veteran leader expects a scapegoat to admit having donated the US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) that was found to be in Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's personal accounts.
Former secretary-general Tan Sri Sanusi Junid said he was not surprised by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's announcement that the money came from a foreign donor and not from state strategic investor 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
"It is something expected and not a surprise. I am sure they will look for a rich individual to admit that he or she had donated the money," he told The Malaysian Insider via SMS.
He said it is hard to believe that an individual can fork out so much money for a donation.
"What is clear is that if the donor is a Malaysian, it is not just one person. A billionaire could not even afford to donate such a large amount," said the federal minister who served under former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's administration in the 1980s.
"They have to find people who are based overseas like the Sultan of Brunei, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet or those of their level. Or Arab royalty and their children."
Sanusi said businessmen would not donate such as amount without hoping for something in return.
"Then it will not be a donation," he added.
"Unless we hire someone and pay them very well until they are willing to admit they are the donors. But it has to be someone who is credible and can be trusted," he said.
Sanusi expressed confidence that the donation did not come from Umno members as usually, the annual fees are paid by the division chiefs.
The former Kedah Menteri Besar also cynically said that only those with a high Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) in university will be "used" to find the individual who is willing to be a scapegoat.
"Have to find a leader with CGPA 3.85 to look for the donor," he said.
Sanusi did not mention any names, but Umno minister Datuk Ahmad Maslan, who has courted scorn and ridicule on the Internet over his attempts to explain to the public how the unpopular goods and services tax (GST) worked, was dubbed Ahmad "CGPA 3.85", after he wrote on Twitter that he was not so stupid as he had earned a 3.85 CGPA in his Master of Business Administration.
On Monday, MACC said the US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) which was channelled into Najib's personal bank accounts came from donors and not from 1MDB.
The anti-graft agency also confirmed that the donor is from the Middle East, but did not name the source. MACC also said it would ask Najib to provide an explanation on the donation.
Allegations of RM2.67 billion in Najib's accounts first surfaced in a report by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on July 2, citing documents from Malaysian investigators.
WSJ said the source of the funds was unknown, but came through 1MDB-linked entities in various tranches, the largest of which – US$681 million – was channelled to Najib's accounts in March 2013, ahead of the general election in May that year.
The prime minister denied taking 1MDB funds for personal use, but did not directly address the fund transfers.
A few of Najib's Cabinet members had previously said that there was nothing wrong in money being funnelled into his personal accounts as he had the capacity to be a trustee for Umno, of which he is president. – August 6, 2015.
- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/umno-veteran-expects-scapegoat-to-own-up-as-us700-million-donor#sthash.yGjQtLd9.dpuf
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