FORMER prime minister Najib Razak must explain the letter sent by one of his officers to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) days before the May 9 polls and the 1Malaysia Development Bhd scandal, a DAP MP said in Dewan Rakyat today.

Ramkarpal Singh (PH-Bukit Gelugor) said Najib (BN-Pekan) must answer whether it was under his orders that the letter was sent.

“Did he ask the CIA for help to fight PH if the latter wins the general election?

“This is very serious. He might have committed an offence under Section 124B of the Penal Code for an activity detrimental to parliamentary democracy.

“The offence carries a jail term of 20 years. Will Pekan be investigated?” he said in his motion of thanks for the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s royal address.

However, Najib had said he did not instruct the Research Division in the Prime Minister’s Department to pen a letter to the CIA seeking US support ahead of the May 9 general election.

“I am surprised. I didn’t even know of its existence. Not all letters have to go through me,” he was quoted as saying by news portal Malaysiakini last week.

The letter, dated May 4 and signed by Research Division director-general Hasanah Ab Hamid was sent to CIA director Gina Haspel.

The letter highlighted Najib as a strong US ally, compared to then opposition leader Dr Mahathir Mohamad. It stated that Dr Mahathir was “essentially not a reformer that could enhance Malaysia’s national interest as he joined the opposition for his own self-interest”.

The letter also discredited the then opposition that “spread negative narratives” on Malaysia’s political and socio-economic policies through online portals like Malaysiakini and Sarawak Report.

It praised the Najib administration’s sound foreign policies and contributions to regional security, adding that it welcomed US presence in the South China Sea to balance China’s maritime assertiveness.

It also stated that Malaysia was a moderate and progressive Muslim nation under Najib, who was expected to win the general election adequately to form the next government.

Towards the end, the letter expressed the need for Najib to have US support for the Barisan Nasional government if it won the election by a simple majority of just one seat.

Meanwhile, Ramkarpal also asked if Najib would attend the Dewan Rakyat sitting and answer all allegations against him over the 1MDB scandal that had been widely reported in the international media in recent years.

Ramkarpal cited news reports that labelled Najib “the Malaysian crook” and quoted US Attorney-General Jeff Sessions, who last year described 1MDB as “the worst form of kleptocracy”.

The MP from Penang said the reason he brought up the issue was because the 1MDB scandal was barred from Dewan Rakyat debates when Barisan Nasional was in power.

“Pekan has never answered all these allegations against him. Will he come to the House to answer the claims reported by the Wall Street Journal, the Economist and what Sessions said?”

The 1MDB issue and Ramkarpal citing the phrase “Malaysian crook” riled up some BN backbenchers who jumped to defend their former leader, who was not present in the House. – July 25, 2018.

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