Statement by Dato’ Sri Azalina Othman Said
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department
3 April 20161. On 30 March 2016, the Wall Street Journal was forced to admit that at least some of the monies received by the Prime Minister were a donation from Saudi Arabia. This was contrary to their report in July 2015, which claimed that RM2.6 billion of 1MDB’s funds had ended up in the Prime Minister’s accounts.
2. It was this WSJ report that was used by the the former Attorney-General as the reason to open the Special Task Force investigation into the Prime Minister.
3. This decision to investigate provided the platform to Tun Mahathir and the Anti-Najib Campaign to unfairly and ceaselessly attack the Prime Minister and Government, just on the basis of WSJ reporting. Malaysia’s international reputation and any economic damage was just collateral damage to Tun Mahathir, for whom the ends always justifies the means.
4. Given WSJ’s long-delayed admission, there should be a full investigation to understand who leaked these fake documents to the media, and why the former Attorney-General set up the Special Task Force. It should also be investigated whether the authenticity of the documents was ever properly verified by the former Attorney-General.
5. Those responsible for launching this investigation on the basis of false documents and reporting must set the record straight. They must apologise for damaging the reputation of the Prime Minister and Malaysia.
Ends
This statement is so riddled with gibberish, inaccuracy and muddled logic that it is plain that the handful of desperate statement writers in the PM’s Office need more help.
Perhaps the rest of Malaysia could have some fun in helping concoct better excuses for the money, which disappeared from 1MDB and then ended up in the PM’s accounts, as well as his step-son’s Hollywood production company and in the purchase of luxury goods around the globe?
As the magazine Vanity Fair succinctly put it this weekend, the explanations provided by Najib so far have been “the macroeconomics equivalent of claiming your dog ate it“, referring to American jokes around the funniest excuses kids provide for not handing in their homework.
So, let’s at least produce some really entertaining and fresh excuses to supplement all this nonsense from Najib’s remaining handful of apologists, to condone this looting of what is now plainly proven to be public money.
All contributions are welcome on our comments section and Facebook pages.
Meanwhile, the nasty threats to take illegal revenge on the so-called “leakers of false information” are noted with due disgust.