HE was Najib Razak’s ultimate fixer, the man who could do everything and no wrong in the eyes of the defeated prime minister.  

Whatever it was, Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim would settle it. Whether it was water and blankets for flood victims, or supplies for the Rohingya and Palestinians, Azeez would work his magic.

More than just that, the car repossession man turned politician could also make and break politicians and civil servants with a whisper to Malaysia’s sixth prime minister.

It was said that he was the one who recommended Dzulkifli Ahmad as the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief.  

He even held sway over ministers and top government officials as a gatekeeper for access to the prime minister, making him a subject of hate among those hoping to catch Najib’s eye.

He was always near Najib, ready to serve and make things happen, from heading Umno Putera for social work to herding a team and ensuring Umno members were registered voters.

For that, the two-term Baling MP was made the Lembaga Urusan Tabung Haji chairman, which made him the ultimate decision maker for the millions in the pilgrims’ management fund.  

The fund was one of the few government-linked agencies to buy land in the Tun Razak Exchange, a unit of the debt-laden 1Malaysia Development Berhad. It also ventured into plantations and the oil and gas sector with mixed success.

But the Umno Supreme Council member was so close to Najib’s family that he was seen as a threat by other courtiers in Najib’s circles, particularly those who felt he had snagged too many deals by swiping some of theirs.

It came to a point that he was harassed by some pro-Umno bloggers in recent months over the deals and money he made, while others disparagingly called him the Cash King from the North.  

It is little wonder then that at least RM500,000 and some jewelry was allegedly found in his Sunway house in police raids yesterday. – May 23, 2018.