Umno leaders a no-show at Najib court proceeding as they were holidaying

Melati A. Jalil Melati A. Jalil Updated 7 years ago · Published on 8 Jul 2018 7:00AM · 27 Comments

Umno Supreme Council member Lokman Noor Adam has dedicated himself to burnishing the tarnished image of former prime minister Najib Razak, who has been charged with corruption. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Seth Akmal, July 8, 2018.

WHEN Najib Razak was questioned by the authorities and had residences linked to him raided, Umno leaders said it was political revenge by the new government.

But, when he was charged with corruption on Wednesday, only a handful of the party’s new Supreme Council members showed up to protest what they claimed was a politically motivated proceeding.

The reason for this? Many were away on holiday, said Supreme Council member Lokman Noor Adam, who has dedicated himself to burnishing the former prime minister’s tarnished image.

“After the party elections, many people decided to take a break and went on holiday. There was no way for them to return from overseas just to attend the unanticipated court proceeding,” Lokman told The Malaysian Insight.

However, senior Umno leaders had no problems attending a Supreme Council meeting later that day at the party’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

”(Najib being charged) was rushed through to divert attention from the real issue, which is Pakatan Harapan’s failure to make good on their (election) promises,” said Lokman.

He was responding to claims that Umno had largely abandoned Najib, as reflected in the small turnout at the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex, where he was charged with four counts of corruption related to money siphoned off from a government-linked firm.

Najib, 64, was charged with misusing his position as a government official to receive a RM42 million bribe as an inducement to provide a sovereign guarantee on behalf of the Malaysian government for a RM4 billion loan from Retirement Fund Inc to SRC International Sdn Bhd.

Aside from the chiefs of Umno’s three wings, namely Wanita, Youth and Puteri, only two Supreme Council members were seen at the court complex – Noh Omar and Lokman.

The most senior Umno leader present was vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

Several Supreme Council members, however, visited Najib at his house in Jalan Langgak Duta in the evening after he was charged.

1MDB charges are ‘lies’

Lokman is an ex-PKR member who worked under Najib in the Finance Ministry as strategic communications director.

He does not for one moment believe any of the charges that his former boss is accused of.

“What is being done against Najib is wrong. I know that the things he has been accused of are not right, and that’s why my stand is to defend Najib.

“There are too many lies being directed at him.”

One of these “lies” is that Najib “stole” RM2.6 billion from state firm 1Malaysia Development Bhd.

“Even Umno people fell for this. When he was charged in court, it wasn’t about the RM2.6 billion,” said Lokman.

Najib’s charges involved SRC International, a former subsidiary of 1MDB, which he formed and whose advisory board he once headed.

Monitoring PH

Lokman now heads Pemantau Malaysia Baru, a group that aims to monitor the new PH government following the pact’s trouncing of Umno and the Barisan Nasional coalition, which he was part of, in the 14th general election.

Pemantau will publish a book reviewing PH’s 100 days in Putrajaya.

“No one monitors the current government, and they don’t walk the talk. They talk about good governance, rule of law. But, what they are doing now goes against the principles.

“There must be certain quarters who rebuke and monitor them from time to time, and every time they make mistakes, we will rebuke and record the mistakes.

“So, after 100 days, we will have some kind of book to show that they are liars.

“We can show clearly that BN is the better pact,” he said, adding that Pemantau is a BN-friendly civil society organisation.

He claims the group has 30,000 members, who joined Pemantau’s Telegram and Facebook.

On Friday, Pemantau and Civil and Human Rights Movement Malaysia lodged reports against Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief Mohd Shukri Abdull for allegedly lying about the charges against Najib. – July 8, 2018.

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Comments

  • "we can show that clearly BN is a better pact". I was wondering 'what is their better pact', they only have MCA & MIC, which may soon pull out tooooo.

    Posted 7 years ago by Yew Soon Kin · Reply

  • It has not been 100 days but Lokman Adam is already telling us what his 100-day of PH govt report card will contain. He has planned to fill up the report card with things that will show that BN is better before the end of 100 days. Not too bright this one.

    Posted 7 years ago by Léon Moch · Reply

  • Definitely a good thing if there is 24-hour scrutiny with "checks & balances" of what the Pakatan govt does. Being a new kid on the block it can be expected that some mistakes will be made by this new administration, as it rushes to try & correct the excesses by the previous govt. Tun's experience surely helps to avoid too many mistakes being made, but he has to trust his younger leaders in delegating work in order to achieve faster progress & cannot be expected to keep an eye on everything. Mistakes can be minimised by PH being meticulous. We the people on both sides of the divide expect a lot of "goodies" from the govt in keeping our hopes alive. Good govt means there is enough for everyone? Yes?..

    Posted 7 years ago by MELVILLE JAYATHISSA · Reply

  • What about BN's own 100 days post PRU14..clearly total dissarray and as for Umno hopelessly defunct..MPs leaving to become bebas and memvers leaving by the drones..of course the multitude of corrupt charges..revelation of 1 trillion Govt debts bad China contracts..in another 100 days umno will be burried without a requeme or orbituary..BN is a gone entity..Lokman you have been in and out of locups umpteen tines 2x ISA inmate that makes you unworthy to watch or pantau anything..

    Posted 7 years ago by Dr Shah Aziz Danny · Reply

    • Well said!

      Posted 7 years ago by Jesse Lingard · Reply

  • With brains like this, no wonder BN is on decline.

    Posted 7 years ago by Yoon Fatt Ng · Reply

    • if i am in Umno i will resign because of him

      Posted 7 years ago by Susan Taylor · Reply

  • Bunch of hypocritical twats.

    Posted 7 years ago by Think Aloud · Reply

  • Fair weather friends. He appease the bunch of warlords and sycophants but neglects the party grassroots and common citizens. This is the result.

    Posted 7 years ago by Henry Mancini Jr · Reply

  • Now the new UMNO barking dog is barking fiercely. Still hoping for dedak ya.

    Posted 7 years ago by Justin Ho · Reply

  • Dey, i can just laugh at you. Before election, you guys were untouchables. Now i can tell u to go jump in the lake. Ha ha ha

    Posted 7 years ago by Sarky Subramaniam · Reply

  • Kalah kalah pun semua pergi celebrate di overseas. Itulah kebiasaannya yg berlaku. Malam selepas umum results pilihanraya, semua dh terbang ke europe dan sebagainya.

    Posted 7 years ago by Ali Salleh · Reply

  • Look at the physique ... must have been fed well with dedak ... this ' half baked ' moron and talking through his rear hole !

    Posted 7 years ago by Gerald Tak · Reply

    • Very well fed actually.

      Posted 7 years ago by Henry Mancini Jr · Reply

  • The thieves were using the stolen money to holiday with their family. Shameless people.

    Posted 7 years ago by Raj Manik · Reply

  • So much for the claim that Malaysians still love him! Mental case.

    Posted 7 years ago by Esther Wester · Reply

  • You are on your own, boy. The reality is this bunch do not want to go down with you. Next time please choose your friends carefully. Hangers-on and sycophants are not dependable people. They will ditch you when you are down but don't mind sharing your prosperity.

    Posted 7 years ago by Henry Mancini Jr · Reply

  • may I know why Nazip is not prepared to sue the living daylights off Wall Street Journal, CNN, Fox News, BBC, Guardian, Al adzeera and almost Every other newspaper and news company in the whole civilised world for defaming him? Did Nazip order the running dogs like Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil Nik and Jho low to stop running so that they can defend for him.? Lokman if you want to know the truth go hunt for those running DOGS to help Nazips case. They can proof Nazip is innocent right?

    Posted 7 years ago by Susan Taylor · Reply

  • Ok. Holiday lagi penting

    Posted 7 years ago by Lian hong gan · Reply

    • Hahaha...

      Posted 7 years ago by Jesse Lingard · Reply

  • Whilst PH government & individual ministrIes work hard to achieve its 100-day manifestos, and others beyond the 100-day timefeme, TDM should set-up a committee of sorts to create public awarenes of all its InitIatIves, success stories and efforts to put the corrupted and convulated natIon back on the rIght track. People from cItes, to kampungs must know and understand what PH is doIng.
    This Is Important to counter all negatIve propoganda created by the oppostIon as well as to prevent any confusIon amongst the publIc..
    If not addressed it would be like a small wound ultimately turning gangrene!

    Posted 7 years ago by New Malaysian · Reply

  • Lokman.. be patient the 2.6b ringgit case is concerning 1MDB, right now Najib is being charged on the SRC a subsidiary of 1MDB regarding a loan of 4billion ringgit from KWSP. Very soon now the 1MDB case will be brought up to charge Najib and this will be another issue just wait Lokman.

    Posted 7 years ago by Figaro Tan · Reply

  • Interesting play of narratives, instead of what is done by Najib is wrong Lokman says what is being done to Najib is wrong. "Umno must emulate the bravery of a Middle Eastern militant group (Daesh) that defeated an Iraqi force outnumbering it nearly 30 to one if the Malay nationalist party is to survive" said Datuk Seri Najib Razak in 2014 after Prince Saud Abdulaziz paid him an additional $375M in2011 to promote Islam. We can see why Zakir Naik is still needed in this country.

    Posted 7 years ago by Roger 5201 · Reply

    • He is needed to Naikkan Kekacauan di Negara Ini.

      Posted 7 years ago by Jesse Lingard · Reply

  • Butman...you never do this for the previous crook government? Anyway, as stupid and naive as you are, just wait for the rest of the charges.

    Posted 7 years ago by Alphonz Jayaraman · Reply

  • Undisputed evidence you don't need a brain to be alive.

    Posted 7 years ago by Richard Chapbell · Reply

  • Even Zahid doesn't give a damn about Najib anymore. Right now, it's every man for himself in UMNO.

    Posted 7 years ago by Jesse Lingard · Reply