THE claims that a RM500 million commission was paid to Bersatu is a move by the opposition to slander the party and Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, said Wan Saiful Wan Jan. 

In a statement, the party’s information chief denied that Bersatu was paid the money to contribute to its 15^th general election campaign kitty – as part of the 1MDB settlement with Goldman Sachs through a high-profile lawyer.

“I know all of this did not happen. I strongly deny this slander. No agent was appointed. No commission was received. This is not the culture in PPBM (Malaysian United Indigenous Party),” Wan Saiful said responding to the allegation. 

Kuang assemblyman Sallehudin Amiruddin had made a police report on March 12, urging the authorities to investigate the authenticity of the viral claim.

The Pejuang politician added that a similar report would be filed with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

Wan Saiful said the statement made by Sallehudin and another statement by a DAP MP raised questions of collusion between the two parties’ backers. 

“PPBM was formed to fight for integrity and a transparent administration.

“Our commitment is to ensure the 1MDB case is resolved urgently, and that all who are guilty are brought to justice and for the money that was stolen to be returned to benefit the people,” he said.

Putrajaya had earlier struck a deal with Goldman Sachs, which will be paying US$2.5 billion (RM10.8 billion) cash with the remainder US$1.4 billion guarantee on assets that have yet to be recovered.

The investment bank agreed that Malaysia will receive a minimum nett sum of US$1.4 billion from an agreed list of assets over the next five years.

The payment is to resolve outstanding charges and claims related to three bond transactions that the investment bank arranged for 1Malaysia Development Bhd.

The previous offer was US$1.75 billion.

“Malaysia will now receive more cash and a higher asset guarantee. With this settlement, the people of Malaysia are getting back substantially more than what was offered before,” Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Tengku Aziz had said after the deal was made.

In July last year, Zafrul said Goldman Sachs will pay US$2.5 billion in cash and guarantee the return of at least US$1.4 billion, which had been seized by the US government as part of the misappropriated 1MDB funds.

Opposition leaders, including Dr Mahathir Mohamad and former finance minister Lim Guan Eng, criticised the settlement.

Dr Mahathir said taxpayers were the ones who will suffer under Perikatan Nasional’s deal with Goldman Sachs.

The former prime minister, whose government sued Goldman Sachs over its role in bond sales related to 1MBD, said the bank should be paying US$9.6 billion.

Lim, meanwhile, said that the government must assure the public that it has not sold Malaysians short or allowed Goldman Sachs to get off over its role in one of the largest financial scandals in history. – March 20, 2021.