Najib Abdul Razak's absence at the 16th International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC) is due to the the circumstances that the prime minister currently is in.

Najib was advised not to attend the conference due to the expected hostile reception he would receive, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Paul Low confirmed today.

"He was supposed to come, up till yesterday. He is not here in view of the circumstances and some of the issues that are recently happening and also involving him personally.

"He comes as the head of the government and so (we) expect a certain amount of protocol.

"Unlike any other meetings, this is a meeting of fearless activists. So the issue is how the reception for him will be," Low said at a workshop session at the conference in Putrajaya today.

Low said he expected the prime minister to receive a hostile reception.

"Maybe I'm right, maybe I'm wrong, but it looks like you are quite civilised," he said to the audience, eliciting laughter from the them.

"As a minister, I have to advise him.

"We advised him in terms of security, and the atmosphere, that it's best that I deliver the keynote address," he said.

'I was not instructed on what to say'

However, Low stressed that he did not receive any instructions on what needed to be said or otherwise in his keynote address.

"I didn't receive instructions even from my prime minister on what I have to say or not," he said.

Najib is currently embroiled in a scandal, where, among others, RM2.6 billion was allegedly transferred into his personal bank accounts.

The prime minister was initially scheduled to deliver the keynote address at today's event.

The programme book received by members of the press today still states that Najib would be delivering the keynote address.

The bi-annual international conference today sees representatives from more than 130 countries and over 1,000 participants.

This is the 16th conference held by the IACC and the first in Malaysia. It is jointly organised by the IACC advisory council, Transparency International and Transparency International Malaysia.

The theme for the event is 'Ending Impunity: People, Integrity, Action'.

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