The foolish S'pore minister who thought
Najib could become PM again this year...
Najib Razak is currently serving 12 years’ jail after he lost his final appeal in the Federal Court on August 23. But in less than 2 weeks as the Kajang Prison Complex’s newest inmate, the crook has started his usual drama again. Born with a silver spoon, it’s extremely difficult for the former prime minister to spend time in prison, even if he enjoys some special treatments.
Unable to lose face, first he told his daughter Nooryana to tell his hardcore supporters that he was doing fine in the prison. Days later, Nooryana, who lives a lavish lifestyle thanks to billions stolen by her parents, whined and bitched that her father would be missing his usual Starbucks. She said she felt guilty ordering from the coffee chain because she knew her father would be missing his caramel macchiato.
Now, Nooryana is trying to gain sympathy with another sob story after her precious daddy has been admitted to hospital due to gastro-intestinal issues, whining again how the world’s biggest crook is prone to stomach ulcers. She is building a case for her daddy to spend most of the prison time in the hospital’s first-class room. It’s also a tactic to use health to bait for a royal pardon.
However, King Sultan Abdullah has today reminded Muslims in the country that Islamic justice does not give any privilege or exception to anyone who commits wrongdoing – be it oneself, close friends, family members or parents. Whether it was a hint that the monarch is not ready to grant a royal pardon for Najib, or just another fork-tongued lip service, remains to be seen.
After all, it was the same King who condemned corruptions in June, but had happily invited a convict – Najib Razak – to the Palace for a special dinner during Ramadan on April 18. Not only Najib was invited to dine and wine with the Agong (King), the crook was seated at the high table alongside Prime Minister Ismail Sabri, who in turn seated next to the Malay Ruler.
Sultan Abdullah of Pahang was not the only one who has raised eyebrows about the monarch seen honouring a pair of crooks, Najib and his wife Rosmah Mansor, at the palace. In May, Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan similarly received criticisms for honouring Najib when he paid a special visit to the convict during his three-day visit to Malaysia.
Officially, the Singapore minister’s meeting schedule included Sultan Nazrin of Perak, Senior Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, Chairman of National Recovery Council (former PM) Muhyiddin Yassin, and Terengganu Chief Minister Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, among others. Stunningly, Mr Vivian did not feel any shame when he proudly met – even photographed – with Mr Najib.
High Court Judge Nazlan had in July 2020 sentenced Najib Razak to 12 years in prison for abuse of power, and 10 years in jail for each of six counts of money laundering and breach of trust (CBT) in addition to RM210 million fines. On December 8, 2021, the Court of Appeal upheld Najib’s conviction – even called the 1MDB scandal a “national embarrassment”.
Essentially, when Singapore’s Foreign Minister paid a courtesy visit to Najib in May 2022, he knew that the ex-premier was a convicted criminal. Yet, he was sent by Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to cover all grounds, obviously anticipating the possibility that Najib, a close “durian buddy” of PM Lee, could spring a magical comeback as Prime Minister of Malaysia again.
Exactly where did Singapore get the idea that Najib was above the law and would walk away free this year? Everything started in August 2021 when Najib and his former deputy Zahid Hamidi led 14 UMNO lawmakers to withdraw support for backdoor PM Muhyiddin Yassin. The appointment of Ismail Sabri as the new premier saw the return of defeated UMNO to the driving seat.
Singapore was so cocksure Najib would return as prime minister again that in less than 3 weeks after un-elected Sabri became PM, Straits Times published that Najib was set to become a special economic adviser to Sabri administration. In fact, Singapore said Sabri had offered the advisory role with ministerial status to Najib, as if it was a done deal and Najib will be acquitted.
Najib, incredibly confident he would get the job, gloated on Facebook – “The time has come to solve problems. I have taken the time to outline various suggestions, steps and approaches to tackle Covid-19, increase public and investor confidence and restore the economy and people’s prosperity. I am very confident and believe these approaches that I have recommended are realistic, will bear fruit, and are easy to implement in the near future.”
Lee Hsien Loong might have been misled into believing that the good old times with his buddy Najib was around the corner. It was hard to believe otherwise when his buddy was so powerful and influential that he could basically walk into the office of PM Sabri as if it was his. The clueless and incompetent turtle egg man, a vice-president of UMNO, was seen as warming up the seat for Najib.
PM Lee had never thought that his best friend, ex-PM Najib Razak, could lose the 14th General Election in May 2018. His government had recklessly counted the chickens before they hatched – pouring tons of money and resources to create an ambitious second Central Business District (CBD) at the western suburb region of Jurong, also known as Jurong Lake District.
Yes, in anticipation of Najib’s mega project – RM110 billion HSR (High Speed Rail) – development in Jurong, Singapore had even removed the Tanjong Pagar Terminal port and relocated it to Tuas. Lee government had paid tens of billions acquiring over 12 hectares of land from a golf club and several residential developments. Investors too had poured millions in property and commercial investments.
Prime Minister Lee was humiliated when, despite wearing “Malaysian Batik” to impress newly crowned Prime Minister Mahathir, was given just 30 minutes during a bilateral meeting in Kuala Lumpur. An hour after the meeting between both leaders, Mahathir deliberately told all and sundry that all bilateral agreements with Singapore will be reviewed, including the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail.
That explains why Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian visited former prime ministers Najib and Muhyiddin, but not Mahathir. That also explains why Vivian raised the issue of the aborted HSR project when he visited Malaysia in May. Despite compensated S$102.8 million (RM320.27 million) for terminating the HSR, Singapore still wanted it to continue after pouring tens of billions of dollars.
And Singapore knew only Najib could revive HSR, his pet project. Foreign countries like Singapore and China like corrupted leaders like Najib because such crook will sell his country in exchange for bribes. The Court of Appeal might be so disgusted it had called the 1MDB scandal a “national embarrassment”, but Najib is considered a gem by Singapore.
However, as much as Lee Hsien Loong adores Najib Razak, Singapore should at least pretend that it despises corruption and avoid being seen as worshipping or honouring a crook. After all, Singapore was ranked 4th in the 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). In truth, of course, the country is just another top financial hub for money laundering.
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) admitted last year that as parts of the effort to prevent money laundering and financing of criminal activity, it would create a digital platform enabling banks to share information on customers and transactions. But the damage has been done – Singapore was involved in 1MDB scandal from the beginning, either directly or indirectly.
HSR High Speed Rail - Malaysia to Singapore
It wasn’t until the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) opened investigation papers and Switzerland dropped the bombshell that a criminal investigation into 1MDB (1Malaysia Development Berhad) had revealed that about US$4 billion appeared to have been misappropriated from Malaysian state companies, that Singapore was forced to act aggressively in early 2016.
In fact, Singaporean police moved in to freeze the accounts of two Singaporean bank accounts linked to 1MDB scandal on July 15, 2015 – only after the Wall Street Journal exposed (on July 2, 2015) about a money trail involving US$681 million transacted through Tanore Finance, a company in the British Virgin Islands, and Falcon Private Bank in Singapore.
And that US$681 million (the infamous RM2.6 billion) was found in the private banking accounts of Najib, who was not only the Prime Minister and Finance Minister, but also the Chairman of 1MDB. Caught with his hand in the cookie jar, Najib has claimed that the money was donations from Saudi royal family, an absurd lie that ultimately backfired and led to his imprisonment.
Interestingly, Singapore authorities allowed itself to be manipulated by 1MDB President – Mr Arul Kanda – when it was exposed that the assets held by BSI were in the form of “units” instead of “cash”. It wasn’t until Sarawak Report exposed the fraud, that the documents supplied by 1MDB relating to its Brazen Sky Limited account in Singapore were false bank statements, that Singapore started taking serious actions.
Even after the corrupted Najib regime was brought down in May 2018, the government of Lee Hsien Loong tried to give a tough time to Mahathir administration, refusing to return Jho Low’s favourite toy – a private jet. The US$35 million Bombardier Global 5000, impounded by Singaporean authorities in 2017, was part of some US$1 billion in assets acquired with funds siphoned from 1MDB that the U.S. government wanted to seize.
Besides Najib’s partner-in-crime private jet, Singapore was equally silent over the stashing of money laundered by Najib and Jho Low in the island. The fact that the new government of Mahathir was forced to appoint a Singapore firm – Tan Rajah & Cheah – to recover billions of ringgit spoke volumes about how Singapore had kept the embarrassing 1MDB scandal as quiet as possible.
The assets sought included at least S$240 million (RM719 million) cash, of which about S$120 million belonged to Mr Low Taek Jho (Jho Low) and his immediate family. Today, Singapore has again bet the wrong horse. Najib, who Lee thought would rise from the ashes when he despatched Vivian Balakrishnan to visit in May, will not be able to share durian with the Singapore leader for a very long time. - FT
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