Veteran journalist A Kadir Jasin says the government has a moral obligation to investigate the sources of the RM50 million raised by Umno to settle former prime minister Najib Razak’s fine in the SRC International case.
Kadir said the government, which had repeatedly emphasised its commitment to fighting corruption, should ensure the money came from legitimate sources, regardless of who contributed to the fund.
“Even if Umno paid the fine, the authorities, including the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, police, Inland Revenue Board and Bank Negara Malaysia, should investigate to establish the RM50 million money trail,” he said in a Facebook post.
He said the large sum warranted scrutiny of its origins, including whether any contributions came from individuals or businesses linked to government contracts.
“Some businessmen who benefitted from these projects may feel indebted. Although some of the projects proceeded smoothly, the possibility of corruption cannot be ruled out entirely,” he said.
Calls for scrutiny of donations
On Nov 7, Kampar MP Chong Zhemin also said Umno should confirm or deny claims that contractors involved in road projects had contributed to the fund.
Former Damansara MP Tony Pua had earlier urged Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) and the MACC to audit the fund to ensure the money raised was legitimate and had not been laundered.
However, Walter Sandosam, a former member of an MACC oversight panel, said there were no laws requiring donations to be audited. He described Umno’s fundraising drive as a private and personal initiative.
Donations must come from legitimate sources
Umno settled the RM50 million fine on Nov 6. The payment was part of the conditions of the royal pardon allowing Najib to serve the remainder of his prison sentence in the SRC International case under house arrest.
However, the implementation of the house arrest has been temporarily put on hold pending the resolution of legal questions surrounding the interpretation of the conditional royal pardon and the High Court’s Order of Discharge.
Separately, former ACCA Malaysia Advisory Committee president Khalid Ahmad said there was nothing inherently wrong with collecting donations, provided they came from legitimate sources.
“It is not wrong to collect donations, as long as the sources are legal,” he told FMT.
“The vetting part is not the objective, but the sources may need vetting.”
Khalid said banks and enforcement authorities had mechanisms under anti-money laundering rules to trace the origins of funds where necessary.
He said they could do so under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (Amla), if required.
“Banks, Bank Negara and the police have the right to check where the money comes from and whether it was obtained through legitimate sources,” he said.
He added that BNM’s anti-money laundering guidelines provide for risk-based checks on transactions, including enhanced scrutiny of the sources of funds in higher-risk cases.
