A DAP MP has urged Umno to confirm or deny claims that contractors involved in road projects under the Rural and Regional Development Ministry contributed towards paying former prime minister Najib Razak’s RM50 million fine.
Kampar MP Chong Zhemin said a poster circulating online since Thursday claimed that seven contractors had contributed to settling the fine.
He said he did not personally believe the claim, adding that Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi would not resort to an “I help you, you help me” approach.
“I look forward to Zahid publishing the full list of JALB (rural road projects) contractors and to Umno disclosing whether any of them contributed to Najib’s fine,” Chong said in a statement.
Chong also called on Zahid to publish the full list of JALB projects with outstanding payments, as well as all new JALB projects approved during his tenure.
“For each project, the ministry should disclose when it was approved, when payments fell due, how much has been paid and how much remains unpaid,” he added.
Questions raised over source of RM50 million
On Thursday, Umno secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said the party had settled the RM50 million fine imposed on its former president, Najib, allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence for his corruption conviction under house arrest.
Najib’s lawyer, Farhan Shafee, also confirmed that the fine had been paid.
Najib was granted a conditional pardon allowing him to serve his remaining six-year prison sentence in the SRC International case under house arrest, provided he paid the RM50 million fine and fulfilled the other stipulated conditions.
However, the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) has suggested that Najib’s house arrest be deferred pending a review of the conditional pardon and the Order of Discharge.
His lawyers have maintained that the AGC has no power to delay the house arrest, arguing that all conditions stipulated in the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s order have been fulfilled.
MP calls for stronger political financing laws
Meanwhile, Miri MP and former lawyer Chiew Choon Man said the donation drive to settle Najib’s RM50 million fine highlighted the need for stronger political financing laws.
He said such laws were necessary to ensure greater transparency over the sources of large donations and political fundraising.
“While public donations to political parties may not be expressly prohibited under our present laws, we must distinguish between what is legally permissible and what is right in principle,” he said in a separate statement.
Chiew argued that the donation drive undermined the purpose of deterring wrongdoing, holding convicted individuals accountable and maintaining public confidence in the justice system.
“A criminal fine is not imposed merely to fill the government’s coffers. It is meant to make the offender bear the consequences of his wrongdoing.
“When the financial burden of a criminal fine is shifted to political supporters, we risk defeating the very purpose of the punishment,” said Chiew, who is also Deputy Arts and Tourism Minister.
