FORMER prime minister Najib Razak said he did not know that funds from the debt-ridden and state-owned 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) were used to buy the superyacht, the Equanimity.
Najib said the government should now remain focused on finding ways to repay the huge debt still owed to International Petroleum Investment Corporation (IPIC), instead of trying to sell the yacht off to the highest bidder.
The former finance minister said this was because the Equanimity would have surely depreciated in value, and would surely not be enough to offset the IPIC debt.
He also said that he did not know who the owner of the luxury vessel was.
“We don’t know. It can be investigated, but what is important is repaying the debt with IPIC.
Yesterday, finance minister Lim Guan Eng said the government intends to sell the Equinimity to the highest bidder to try and recoup the money allegedly siphoned from 1MDB to pay for the RM1 billion luxury yacht.
Najib said the government was being “populist” in focusing on the Equanimity, and not on clearing 1MDB’s debts.
“And that is worth much more than this Equanimity. But Equanimity is being used as, again, a populist move.
“But what is important is the overall settlement on the IPIC issue. You’re going to get much more in the settlement with UAE and IPIC as opposed to just making an open bidding for the Equanimity,” said Najib.
He reiterated that he had no knowledge whatsoever of the yacht which docked at Port Klang at noon today.
“I’ve no knowledge of it, I have not been on board. I do not know about it until it came out in the press.”
The 90m-long yacht was delivered to Malaysia by Indonesia police, and escorted by Malaysian marine police. – August 7, 2018.
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