PRIME Minister Najib Razak should heed his own Aidilfitri message and rein in his subordinates and allies, DAP national advisor Lim Kit Siang said today.

Lim said Najib should ensure that his government, Umno, and BN are not spreading fake news or false information after he cautioned against slander during his televised Aidilfitri address.

“Recently, there are more and more examples of Umno/BN’s hypocrisy, preaching the iniquity of fake news and false information while at the same time concocting fake news and false information,” he said in a statement.

Lim cited the three most recent examples related to a suit by the US Department of Justice (DoJ) to seize an additional US$540 million worth of assets (RM2.3 billion) believed to have been purchased with funds stolen from state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

The suit is the third of its kind, and had put the total amount of money allegedly laundered or stolen from 1MDB to US$4.5 billion, with the US DoJ aiming to seize US$1.7 billion’s worth in assets.

Lim, who is DAP parliamentary leader, said a commentary posted on BN Backbenchers Council’s (BNBBC) portal on June 21 claimed that the US$27.3 million pink diamond allegedly bought by financier Low Taek Jho, known as Jho Low, for the wife of “Malaysian Official No.1” (MO1) was not mentioned in the suit.

The commentary, penned by “Blue Bear” (Beruang Biru), claimed that the diamond is a concoction by news portal Malaysiakini.

Lim said that was a downright lie as the diamond was specifically mentioned in paragraph 346 of the lengthy suit in a section titled “Low arrange to purchase a 22-carat pink diamond necklace for the wife of MO1 using diverted 2013 bond proceeds”.

The Gelang Patah MP also called out Minister in Prime Minister’s Department Abdul Rahman Dahlan for saying the suit insinuated that Najib’s wife Rosmah Mansor had committed wrongdoing.

“The US DoJ gave facts and and figures in the forfeiture suit, all in black and white, and there could be nothing more specific about the allegations of money laundering and diversion of 1MDB funds,” Lim said.

He also took aim at PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang for saying the DoJ’s suits were a form of foreign interference in a domestic issue.

Lim said Foreign Minister Anifah Aman had said in August last year that the suits were due to transactions which took place in the US and does not amount to foreign intervention.

He added that there seems to be a concerted effort to disseminate lies and falsehoods by Umno/BN and PAS to portray the US DoJ suits as a form of foreign intervention. – June 26, 2017.