Tuesday, March 1, 2016

WSJ recycling old allegations without proof, says Putrajaya

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) has become a willing vehicle for certain political actors who are seeking to damage Datuk Seri Najib Razak's reputation for personal gain, Putrajaya says. This was in response to the latest claim in the US-based business paper that he received more than US$1 billion in his personal accounts. In a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office today, it said that the "politically motivated anti-Najib campaign" had failed because that the Malaysian attorney-general (A-G) had already confirmed that the funds received were a donation from Saudi Arabia. "This has been verified by multiple lawful authorities who conducted exhaustive investigations. "This included Malaysian authorities travelling to Saudi Arabia to examine documentation and interview members of the Royal Family and officials that administered the donation. "The Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia has also confirmed that the funds came from Saudi Arabia." It added that WSJ and its sister entities were continuing their attacks and trying to link state investor 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) to the donation. Putrajaya also said WSJ was "repeating the same old allegations without providing evidence" and "relying solely on anonymous sources that might not even exist" while choosing to omit key known facts. "The Wall Street Journal has become a willing vehicle for certain political actors who are seeking to damage the prime minister and Malaysia for personal gain. "But this politically motivated anti-Najib campaign, which sought to use Western media, has failed. "The prime minister is focused on the key issues that matter to Malaysia, especially combating the threat of terrorism, and strengthening the economy in the face of global headwinds. "Malaysia's recent growth figures, which surpassed expectations, confirm that the prime minister's economic plan is working," the government said. WSJ reported today that the prime minister received more than US$1 billion – hundreds of millions more than previously identified. The newspaper wrote that its sources said global investigators believed much of it originated from 1MDB. 1MDB had denied that it had paid any funds into Najib's personal accounts. WSJ started its expose of Najib's personal bank accounts last July but had yet to be sued by the prime minister, who had denied all allegations. Malaysian A-G Tan Sri Mohamad Apandi Ali said in January there was insufficient proof to charge Najib with any wrongdoing over the nearly US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) found in his personal bank accounts. – March 1, 2016.]]>

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