Umno
leaders must decide whether to back Datuk Seri Najib Razak or Tun Dr Mahathir
Mohamad, Singapore’s The Straits Times said today, following revelations that
funds from 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) had been channelled into the prime
minister’s bank accounts.
The
Sunday Times, the weekend edition of the daily, said Umno leaders were caught
in an escalating power struggle between Najib and the former prime minister and
“have to choose sides soon”.
On
Thursday, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) said documents showed US$700 million
(RM2.67 billion) was moved among government agencies, banks and entities linked
to 1MDB, which finally ended in the prime minister's personal accounts at the
AmPrivate Bank in Kuala Lumpur, in five separate deposits.
Najib has
since denied the allegations, accusing Dr Mahathir of masterminding the latest
attack against him.
Today, a
number of Umno leaders said Najib should sue WSJ if the claim that 1MDB’s funds
were transferred into his account was false.
Yesterday,
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the allegations were serious
and jeopardised Najib's credibility as the prime minister and leader of the
Malaysian government.
He also
urged the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), Bank Negara Malaysia and
police, with the cooperation of the attorney-general, to begin investigations
into the allegations.
Tun
Faisal Ismail Aziz, an adviser to the Special Affairs Department (Jasa), was
quoted as saying Umno leaders would have to take sides, given how
"desperate" Dr Mahathir has become to "get rid of Najib".
Dr
Mahathir has been a strident critic of Najib in the last few months, especially
on his handling of 1MDB, of which Najib is the chair of the advisory board.
1MDB has
racked up debts of RM42 billion and a few government-linked agencies have been
accused of bailing out the state-owned fund.
One Umno
MP told the Singapore paper that Najib should have asked Bank Negara governor
Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz or AmBank to deny the fund transfers.
"Ask
Zeti to deny or AmBank to deny. Nothing!" the MP was quoted as saying. –
July 5, 2015.
Source: The Malaysian Insider
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