Najib Razak's 'solidarity fund' raises US$2.27 million, still short of US$12.27 million target: DPM Zahid

KUALA LUMPUR: Some RM9.25 million (US$2.27 million) has been raised to help jailed former Malaysian premier Najib Razak pay a RM50 million court-imposed fine for him to serve his sentence at home as part of a royal pardon.

Meanwhile, his eldest son, Nizar Najib, said that even if his father’s frozen assets were released, his family would still be unable to immediately raise the RM50 million fine.

The “Najib Razak Solidarity Fund” was organised by his United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) party on Sep 18 after Malaysia’s king Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar granted Najib a conditional pardon. 

The pardon allows him to serve the remainder of his six-year prison term - until Aug 23, 2028 - at home, subject to the payment of the fine, among other conditions. 

“As of 10am, we have collected RM9.25 million so far,” Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is also UMNO president, was quoted as saying on Sunday by local news outlet The Star. 

Zahid was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the 18th annual general assembly of the Malaysian Makkal Sakti Party at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur. 

“This is still insufficient to reach the RM50 million target. Efforts are ongoing to increase the crowdfunding and we hope our friends will be able to assist us in the near future to reach the amount set by the Pardons Board.” 

“The amount must be settled before the house arrest can be fully implemented,” Zahid added. 

The fund raised RM634,000 in its first three hours and reached RM1 million about a day after it was launched. 

It is unclear how UMNO is currently managing the donations, with no reported details on what would happen to the money collected if the amount falls short of of RM50 million.

CNA has reached out to UMNO for comment. 

On Saturday, Najib’s eldest son, Nizar, said that if his father’s frozen assets were released, it "might help somewhat in raising the money".

"But the reality is that we still have much to do before we reach that amount,” local media quoted him as saying. 

Nizar, an UMNO assemblyman for Peramu Jaya in Pahang, also defended the party’s fundraising campaign for his father. 

“Some people don’t like it, but whatever the circumstances, we should be grateful … It turns out that many Malaysians still care for my father and feel moved to help,” he said, as quoted by Malay Mail.

He added that the party had launched the campaign on its own initiative and that his family had not requested it.