I REFER to Najib pours doubt on Muhyiddin’s denial of receiving bribes in The Malaysian Insight

Just when we thought that Malaysian politics cannot get any more ludicrous, former prime minister Najib Razak has proven everyone wrong.

On Saturday, the man who was described as a “national embarrassment” by a top judge – after being sentenced to 12 years in prison and a RM210 million fine for corruption – had the gall to insinuate that others are corrupt.

I can’t believe this. Has this man no shame? In a social media posting, he questioned his successor Muhyiddin Yassin’s denial of having received RM1.3 million in alleged kickbacks from Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd.

Muhyiddin, a former home minister, had said that he was getting treatment for cancer at the time he was said to have received the payment and there’s no way it could have happened.

Let’s compare Muhyiddin’s reaction with the corruption allegation thrown at Najib when he was the prime minister.

In Muhyiddin’s case, he immediately denied wrongdoings hours after the allegation was made by a witness in the corruption trial of Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Muhyiddin even furnished proof that he was overseas getting treatment at that time the money was allegedly passed to him.

What did Najib, as the prime minister do when the media reported that some US$681 million (then RM2.2 billion) of 1MDB’s money went into his private account? He kept quiet.

Yes, a sitting prime minister for the longest time did not respond to the damning allegations, which in no time, had gone halfway around the world, tarnishing not just his image but that of the nation.

The US attorney-general even described Malaysia as a “kleptocracy” and gave Najib the “Malaysian Official 1” moniker.

Subsequent to which, what did Najib do? He unceremoniously got rid of the attorney-general here, who was said to be proffering charges against Najib for wrongdoings related to 1MDB.

Najib also installed a compliant person to head the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and he shamelessly pulled all the levers of power to consolidate his position as prime minister.

Now, Najib, the first former prime minister in Malaysia to be sentenced to prison for corruption, has the audacity to question Muhyiddin’s denial over alleged kickbacks? I just cannot wrap my head around this shame-retardant idea.

This is the same man behind a grand larceny into which dozens of countries around the world have launched investigations.

In the US, the trial where ex-Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng took place, revealing reams of damning information surfaced about how Najib, and those he was in cahoots with, were paid millions to pull off this heinous heist.

This ex-PM6 and “PM10 wannabe” has the cheek to insinuate others of corruption. God save Malaysia if he ever makes a comeback. – June 20, 2022.

* Mohd Amsyar Jamal reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.