An open letter to Najib aka MO1

COMMENT | Former prime minister Najib Razak, it is indeed incredible that you still insist on your own innocence with regard to 1MDB. Whereas previously you insisted that there was no wrongdoing whatsoever, you now argue that all 1MDB wrongdoings were due to others, particularly its directors.

Why then all the measures taken in recent years to prevent Malaysians from knowing the truth about 1MDB?

The huge financial losses are due to purported 1MDB investments attributed to Jho Low, and also to the costly cover-up efforts associated with company president Arul Kanda Kandasamy, which in turn compromised the integrity of other Malaysian government-related institutions such as the central bank.

Instead, you have complained indignantly about missing chocolate from your refrigerator and over-assessment of the value of the loot confiscated by the police from your properties.

After years of denial, you now admit that there were wrongdoings, but insist that the directors, never you, were entirely to blame. Why then the earlier vehement denials of any 1MDB wrongdoing, and the harsh measures against senior government officials who suggested otherwise. Why dismiss then Umno deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin from his cabinet and party positions? The list, sadly, goes on and on, as any number of Malaysians know, except you.

Sadly, 1MDB is only the most visible tip of the iceberg of corruption which ballooned under your leadership. More than anyone else, you know about the crony public-private partnerships for infrastructure development and government capital (development) expenditure, all involving grossly inflated costs, typically secured through ‘direct negotiations’.

These were often abused by a few, often creative, but nonetheless, crooked GLC managers and civil servants around the prime minister cum finance minister, ruining the reputations of their honest and coerced colleagues. And to cover up your misdeeds, public assets were sold hastily as taxes were raised on all.

On May 9, Malaysian voters rejected you, your party and the ruling coalition in favour of Pakatan Harapan. Malaysians were beginning to realise the enormity of the fraud, not only involving 1MDB, but also much else of what you, some other Umno leaders and your local and foreign business associates were engaged in...