Govt has moral duty to audit Umno’s RM50mil Najib fund, says Kadir Jasin

The government has a moral obligation to investigate the sources of the RM50 million raised by Umno to settle former prime minister Najib Razak’s fine in the SRC International case, says veteran journalist A Kadir Jasin.

Kadir said the government, which has repeatedly emphasised its commitment to fighting corruption, should ensure the payment came from legitimate sources, regardless of who contributed the money.

“Even if Umno paid the fine, the authorities, including the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, police, Inland Revenue Board and Bank Negara Malaysia, should investigate to establish the RM50 million money trail,” he said in a Facebook post.

Kadir said the large sum warranted scrutiny over its origins, including whether any contributions came from individuals or businesses linked to government contracts.

“Some businessmen who benefited from these projects may feel indebted. Although some of the projects proceeded smoothly, the possibility of corruption cannot be ruled out entirely,” he said.

On Nov 7, Kampar MP Chong Zhemin also said Umno should confirm or deny claims that contractors involved in road projects contributed towards the fund.

Former Damansara MP Tony Pua had earlier urged BNM and MACC to audit the fund, saying it would ensure that the money raised was legitimate and had not been laundered.

However, Walter Sandosam, who served on an MACC oversight panel, said there were no laws requiring donations to be audited, describing the drive launched by Umno as a private and personal initiative.

Umno settled the RM50 million fine – part of the conditions of the royal pardon allowing Najib to serve the balance of his SRC International jail sentence under house arrest – on Nov 6.

The house arrest has been temporarily put on hold because of unresolved legal questions surrounding the interpretation of the conditional royal pardon and the High Court’s Order of Discharge.

Separately, Khalid Ahmad, former president of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), said there was nothing inherently wrong with collecting donations, provided they came from legitimate sources.

“It is not wrong to collect donations, as long as the sources are legal,” he told FMT.

“The vetting part is not the objective, but the sources may need vetting.”

Khalid said banks and enforcement authorities had mechanisms under anti-money laundering rules to trace the origins of funds, where necessary.

He said they could do so under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (Amla), if needed.

“Banks, Bank Negara and the police have the right to check where the money comes from and whether it was obtained through legitimate sources,” he said.

He said BNM’s anti-money laundering guidelines provide for risk-based checks on transactions, including enhanced scrutiny of the sources of funds in higher-risk cases.

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