Opposition parties objected to political funding reforms, says Rahman Dahlan

 DAP had opposed the suggestion to institute reforms in political funding, says Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan.

And the first to support the idea was Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Rahman said.

“One of the first parties to object to the funding reform was DAP.

“The reason given by DAP was largely self-serving - and what a huge disappointment that had been,” he said in a statement on Friday.

Rahman said that the reason given by DAP was that the party’s leaders “feared that the reform would put DAP at a disadvantage”.

Rahman said it was the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Committee (MACC) which had first suggested the idea of transparency in political funding, at a time he was serving as a member of MACC's special committee on corruption.

“I know for a fact that those fine men and women of the MACC have been trying to get political parties to agree to a more transparent procedure when it comes to political donations.

“MACC has said that they aspire to have all donations officially declared in the name of transparency and accountability,” Rahman said.

He said when the MACC came up with the suggestion, the first head of a political party who supported the idea was none other Najib, who publicly declared his support and wanted it to be implemented and co-opted under the Government Transformation Programme initiative.

Rahman said at a meeting with Transparency International-Malaysia (TI-M) and Pakatan Rakyat’s members of parliament on Dec 1 2010, Tian Chua (PKR's Batu MP) was reported in the minutes of the meeting to have said that he ‘feared that full disclosure would hurt their contributors and consequently the financing for the opposition.'

Rahman said Tian Chua added 'the fear is that the donors might be prosecuted by the winning coalition for supporting the losing coalition in any general election. This would result in a substantial decline of income source for the losing coalition.' "

He said it was hypocritical for DAP leaders to now demand that the Prime Minister “reveal the sources of political funding for BN and Umno when they have maliciously rejected the political funding reform initiative in the first place”.

He said the act of giving and accepting political donations is legal in the country.

“Political donation is legal in Malaysia. It is clear that without huge political donation, there is no way for the opposition parties to run their massive election machinery,” he said.

However, he said the idea of political funding reforms should be looked at as many were demanding more transparency from political parties.

“All said and done, there is now a louder demand to regulate political donations and the opposition especially DAP can't ignore it anymore.

“But until such monumental leap of faith becomes a reality within the opposition's coalition, one should never be deluded enough to hold the higher ground against another”, he said.

MACC denies charge sheet against PM

 Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has denied the existence of a draft charge sheet against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, saying their investigations have yet to be completed.

Whistleblower site Sarawak Report, which on Thursday published an article and a draft charge sheet purportedly with details of charges against Najib, alleged that the charge sheet was drafted by former Attorney General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail.

"Referring to the report by Sarawak Report about the existence of the draft charge sheet, the MACC would like to explain that the investigation report regarding SRC International has not been sent to the Attorney-General Chambers," MACC said in a statement on Friday.

MACC said investigations into SRC International - a company linked to 1Malaysia Development Berhad - is still ongoing.

"Therefore, there is no issue on there being a draft sheet relating to a case that is still under investigation," it said.

It said they still need to track down some important witnesses to complete its probe on SRC International.

"The Commission emphasizes that the MACC will not disclose any information relating to any party as it is an act against the law," it said.

MACC reiterated that its responsibility is to investigate corruption cases and not the intention to topple any parties, including the Government.

"As an independent Commission, MACC will carry out an independent investigation that is transparent and professional," it said.

Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali on Friday said that the allegations made by Sarawak Report is false.

He said that the alleged charge sheets never reached the Attorney-General's Chambers, and that the format of the sheets is not correct or written by the Chambers.

Sarawak Report alleged that Gani was sacked on Tuesday because he wanted to take action against Najib and had issued a draft charge sheet against the Prime Minister.

Bank Negara: Zeti has not quit, did not suffer heart attack

Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) has denied rumours circulating in local media and financial markets that its governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz  has resigned. 

When asked to comment on the the rumour, a central bank spokesman said: "This is not true," according to Reuters.

When contacted by The Star, a BNM spokesman also denied that Zeti, 67, suffered a heart attack.
"She is fine and came to work as usual,” added the spokesman.

Najib’s lawyer: WSJ article ‘neither here nor there’

The Wall Street Journal article was not clear on whether Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was accused of taking funds from 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), said counsel Datuk Mohd Hafarizam Harun .

Mohd Hafarizam, whose law firm is acting for the Prime Minister, said the article was "neither here or there".

"The article is not clear on whether they are alleging that the money is from 1MDB or not.

"Why we sent a letter of clarification is because we want the WSJ to tell us what their position is.

"Once that position has been taken, then it is easier for me to advise my client.

"Otherwise I will be bordering on conjecture. I would have to assume that they meant 1MDB or assume that they did not mean 1MDB.

"It would be rather difficult for me as a plaintiff to advise my client if I am not sure what their position is," he told reporters on Monday.

Mohd Hafarizam said he had advised Najib that the WSJ article was unclear.

"Yes, my law firm can say whether the article is defamatory or not - but if I wrongly give advice, then I am also subject to professional negligence.

"The first two paragraphs of the article seem to suggest the money was from 1MDB, but then when you look further, they mention "the source is not known," he added.

He said his firm would seek Najib's instructions once WSJ stated its position on the matter.

Najib's lawyers had sent a letter of clarification to WSJ for an explanation over its July 3 article implicating him of allegedly transferring 1MDB funds into his personal accounts.

In the letter, law firm Hafarizam Wan & Aisha Mubarak wants confirmation from the Dow Jones board of directors on the newspaper’s stand.

Dow Jones & Company, the publisher of the US-based newspaper, has two weeks to reply “yes” or “no”, according to a letter dated July 8 from the lawyers.

WSJ had published an article quoting an "unnamed investigator", claiming that almost US$700mil (RM2.63bil) of 1MDB funds went into Najib's personal accounts.

The Prime Minister's Office responded by saying that the articles were "political sabotage” while the 1MDB insisted that no funds had been transferred to Najib's accounts.

Najib has also refuted the claims, maintaining that the allegations are a political ploy engineered by his opponents in an attempt to topple him, among them former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Don’t spread hate and lies during Ramadan, urges Najib

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has urged people not to spread slander and hate during the holy month of Ramadan.

He said this was more so as the night of Lailatul Qadar, a special night for Muslims would occur during the last ten days of Ramadan.

“On that night, we are promised manifold pahala ibadat (reward) as stated in the Al-Qadr surah, “The night of Lailatul Qadar is better than a thousand moons,” he said in a blog posting on Friday.

Najib has come under pressure ever since the Wall Street Journal published an article last week quoting an "unnamed investigator", claiming that almost US$700mil (RM2.63bil) of 1MDB funds went into his personal accounts.

The Prime Minister's Office responded by saying that the articles were "political sabotage” while the 1MDB insisted that no funds had been transferred to Najib's accounts.

Najib has also refuted the claims, maintaining that the allegations are a political ploy engineered by his opponents in an attempt to topple him, among them former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
The New York-based publication however insisted that their investigation was based on solid documentation.

MCMC: Stop spreading false information about 1MDB on social media

The public should not spread modified pictures, unverified news or any speculation regarding investigations into 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) through social media, said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

In a press release Thursday morning, the MCMC said "social media" included the mobile messaging application WhatsApp.

"It is an offence to share or spread such materials as it could break the law, especially Section 211 or Section 213 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998. If one is found guilty, one could face a RM50,000 fine, a one-year jail sentence or both," said the MCMC.

Under Section 211, it is an offence to provide content which is indecent, obscene, false, menacing, or offensive in character with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any person.

Last Friday, the Wall Street Journal published a report alleging that nearly US$700mil (RM2.6bil) of funds, purportedly from the Government investment arm, had been channelled to personal bank accounts of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak

Since then, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman has said that action may be taken against anyone who tries to tarnish the image of the country by criticising the Government and Najib, while an investigation has been launched, with officers from a special task force raiding the 1MDB offices at Menara IMC on Wednesday.

Auditor-General presents interim 1MDB audit report to PAC

The Auditor-General (A-G) has presented its initial findings on 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

Tan Sri Ambrin Buang presented the interim audit report to PAC chairman Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed in the Parliament building Thursday morning.

A briefing will be given to members of the PAC, after which they are free to ask questions.

The meeting is expected to last until 4pm, with a possibility of it continuing on Friday if there is not enough time for questions.

Last Thursday, Nur Jazlan said that the bi-partisan committee would ask the A-G the scope of the audit, whether it was limited or restricted and if witnesses were co-operative.

Nur Jazlan also previously said that all information provided would be used when questioning 1MDB chief executives and board of directors early next month.

He also said that it was up to the A-G whether the interim report's findings would be revealed to Members of Parliament and the public.

A more comprehensive report is expected later in the year.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) published an article last week quoting an "unnamed investigator", claiming that almost US$700mil (RM2.63bil) of 1MDB funds went into Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's personal accounts.

The Prime Minister's Office responded by saying that the articles were "political sabotage" while the 1MDB insisted that no funds had been transferred to Najib's accounts.

Najib has also refuted the claims, maintaining that the allegations are a ploy engineered by his opponents in an attempt to topple him, among them former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

The office of 1MDB was also raided by police on Wednesday.

Cabinet members fully back PM

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has the support of his Cabinet members who said they will not pressure him to step down over the 1MDB controversy.

“The Cabinet members are all behind Najib in facing the issue,” said Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

The Prime Minister had explained to the Cabinet his move to demand an explanation from The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) over its July 3 article implying that 1Malaysia Develop­ment Bhd (1MDB) funds were transferred into his personal accounts.

All ministers were at the Cabinet meeting except for Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai and Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong.

Liow, the Transport Minister is overseas on official duty while Dr Wee, a Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, is recovering from an operation last month.

Ismail said several ministers gave Najib their feedback.

IGP: We will probe how WSJ got documents

Police will investigate how The Wall Street Journal got hold of secret banking documents in its articles on the alleged transfer of 1Malaysia Development Bhd funds to the bank accounts of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said the probe would cover everyone, including bank officers and even Bank Negara Malaysia.

"We will also investigate The Wall Street Journal with regards to the leak of confidential banking documents," he told reporters after launching Ops Selamat here on Wednesday.

"Such action is tantamount to economic sabotage," he added.

Police will investigate the leak of banking information under Section 4 of the Computer Crimes Act 1997 for disclosing information involving 1MDB and the prime minister.

An article in WSJ claimed that US700mil (RM2.7bil) was transferred to Najib's personal bank accounts just before the 2013 general election.

IGP: Najadi murder not linked to 1MDB money trail

There is no connection between the murder of AmBank founder Hussain Ahmad Najadi and alleged transfer of 1Malaysia Development Bhd funds to a bank account of the Prime Minister, said Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar.

The Inspector-General of Police said such claims were false and bordered on malice.

"I can confirm that Hussain did not make any police report before he was shot dead," he told reporters after launching Ops Selamat here on Wednesday.

A WhatsApp message which went viral had linked Hussain's murder to a US$60mil deposit at an AmBank account.

The message claimed that Hussain filed a police report on the matter on July 28, 2013.

"I repeat there is no connection between the 1MDB probe and Hussain's murder," said Khalid.

"Hussain's case has been solved with the killer already detained. End of story," he said.

In its latest posting, Sarawak Report interviewed Hussain's son, Pascal, who is now in Moscow, and he claimed that his father died for reporting about alleged bank corruption.

A tow truck driver was sentenced to death last year by a High Court for murdering Hussain in 2013.

Najib starts move for legal action over WSJ article

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has demanded an explanation from The Wall Street Journal over its July 3 article implicating him of allegedly transferring 1Malaysia Development Bhd funds into his personal accounts.

His legal firm, Hafarizam Wan & Aisha Mubarak, said it was now identifying "facts to proceed with further instructions" by way of the parties involved in the writing, distributing and publishing the article.

This is would be to enable the "service of any legal letter or court documents," it said in a statement on Wednesday.

It said it has instructions to "tackle all possible or plausible legal remedies of which our client shall be given advise on an action of defamation, further tortuous actions and remedies including any statutory violations by WSJ and related companies and  (if any) conspirers."

"This is not a straightforward legal action due to the national and international imputations. We have been instructed to identify facts and lay full facts, before our client, is able to proceed with further instructions," it said.


Here is the press release from Hafarizam Wan & Aisha Mubarak;


WSJ PRESS RELEASE


The Wall street Journal had published an article dated 3rd July 2015, implicating our client Datuk Seri Najib.

Immediately, our client had instructed us, Messrs Hafarizam Wan & Aisha Mubarak, to scrutinize the said article.

The article is tainted with numerous allegations against our client which involved several companies and transactions.

Combing through the said article, we have concluded that the language is intentionally or otherwise has made reference to several facts and companies which are vaguely described.

Reference is made to the said article wherein it has been stated that our client had been directly probed into 1MDB, however contents of the article refers to indirect transactions where our client has been implicated with 1MDB-linked companies.

A clear contradiction which requires further clarification.

This article by WSJ was issued, published and circulated through WSJ web portal www.wsj.com.

Firstly, we have been instructed to identify the parties involved in the authorship, distribution and publishing, for the purpose of naming the appropriate parties in any potential actions which requires deliberation and research as the article does not reflect extensive details for service of any legal letter or court documents.

Secondly, another issue of concern is, jurisdictional issues of which the publication originates from United States of America and accessible worldwide.

We have been also instructed that a local presence of WSJ is also available and we are pursuing further clarification and details on this matter.

Since the article involves several parties, we have also been instructed to consider a joint action or an action against, in the event evidence shows a conspiracy against our client.

Kindly note that the companies named as conspirators with our client, in the article are; International Petroleum Investment Co, Tanore Finance Corp, SRC International Sdn. Bhd, and Ihsan Perdana Sdn. Bhd.

Several names of companies or organizations had only been referred to as the related companies or companies belonging to certain organizations or companies, and also the sources or destinations or the alleged transactions has not been disclosed.

This in itself either intentionally or otherwise has caused further identification of facts been required.

Once we have identified the parties, the jurisdiction, and the involvement of conspirators or are they merely parties which also had been innocently imputed in the article, we can then proceed to address the third issue.

The third issue is to tackle all possible or plausible legal remedies of which our client shall be given advise on an action of defamation, further tortuous actions and remedies including any statutory violations by WSJ and related companies and  (if any) conspirers.

This is not a straightforward legal action due to the national and international imputations. We have been instructed to identify facts and lay full facts, before our client, is able to proceed with further instructions.

The purpose of clear explanation is to avoid unnecessary objections by WSJ on the imputations that are made.

Once our client has obtained all necessary facts and the position of WSJ is ascertained, we have strict instructions to immediately exhaust legal avenues and remedies.


Yours faithfully,

FOR AND ON BEHALF OF MESSRS HAFARIZAM WAN & AISHA MUBARAK

WAN AZMIR BIN WAN MAJID

Keep calm and think rationally, Ku Nan tells Umno members

Umno members should keep calm and think rationally, especially in terms of the relentless attacks faced by the Prime Minister, says Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor (pic).

The Umno secretary-general further urged members to continue to give their strongest support to the party’s top leadership and allow them space to think of the most appropriate action in the interests of religion, race and nation.

“We must continue to be vigilant and not be complacent because other parties, particularly the Opposition, will look for opportunities to break the unity that has made us strong all this while,” he said Tuesday, advising members to focus on the party’s struggle.

Tengku Adnan’s statement came as Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was hit by allegations in a Wall Street Journal report that almost US$700mil (RM2.6bil) of 1MDB funds went into the Prime Minister's personal accounts.

The Prime Minister’s Office responded by saying that the articles were “political sabotage” while 1MDB insisted that no funds had been transferred to Najib’s accounts.

Najib also refuted the claims, maintaining that the allegations were a political ploy engineered by his opponents, among them former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, in an attempt to topple him.

Tengku Adnan also told Umno members not to be manipulated and provoked by those who liked to take advantage of difficult and tough times.
“I hope all party members continue to adhere to the goals of the party and ensure that democracy continues to flourish,” he said.

Special task force freezes six accounts

Six bank accounts connected to allegations of channelling of funds to the Prime Minister have been frozen.

In a joint statement, the special task force which was formed to probe the allegations, stated that the order to freeze the accounts was issued on July 6.

“The special task force has also obtained documents on 17 accounts in two banks to assist with investigations.

“Several documents pertaining to non-compliance of Bank Negara Malaysia’s rules and procedures were also seized,” the statement said.

As investigations are still under way, the task force has urged all parties to give their cooperation to allow for the probe to be completed.

The statement was issued jointly by Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail, Bank Negara Malaysia Governor Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief commissioner Tan Sri Abu Kassim Mohamed.

Last Friday, the Wall Street Journal reported that funds amounting to US$700mil (RM2.6bil) had been channelled to Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s personal accounts.

The Prime Minister’s Office responded by saying that the article was “political sabotage” while 1MDB insisted that no funds had been transferred to Najib’s accounts.

Najib also refuted the claims, maintaining that the allegations were a political ploy engineered by his opponents, among them former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, in an attempt to topple him.

Umno division chief urges Zeti to ‘step up and clear’ Najib of allegations

The onus lies on those who have access to relevant information to prove whether the allegations against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak are true or false.

Umno Cheras division chief Datuk Seri Syed Ali Al-habshee (pic) said that Malaysian individuals and financial firms mentioned in the report by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) should take action to disprove the allegations.

“WSJ, which claims the article is a result of the investigation by a Malaysian task force, must make the report public.

“But we are yet to see the report by the Malaysian investigators,” wrote Syed Ali in a blogpost on Monday.

In a report last week, WSJ had alleged that almost US$700mil (RM2.6bil) of 1MDB funds had been transferred into the Prime Minister’s personal accounts in AmBank.

He then urged Bank Negara governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz to clear Najib’s name, which was badly tarnished by the WSJ report.

“This is the time for Bank Negara’s governor to step up and clear the Prime Minister of any wrongdoing as he is being accused of manipulating his power and position to further his political and financial interests.

“She is widely respected for her work.

“And she must stand up for the Prime Minister, who has repeatedly slammed the smear campaign mounted against him to tarnish his good image and prematurely end his political career,” he said.

He added that AmBank also needed to make public the details on whether the transactions mentioned in the WSJ report ever took place.

“As this is a matter of public interest and involves the alleged mishandling of a sovereign fund, AmBank also has a moral obligation, to the people of Malaysia, to divulge whether such transactions took place,” he said.

He noted that AmBank has to “make a public denial” on the allegations that “huge amounts” of funds from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) have ended up in Najib’s personal bank accounts as claimed in the WSJ article.
Syed Ali added that Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail also has a duty to issue a directive to make public the report, as he has acknowledged “having seen the investigation papers and the concluding report”.

PAS mulling legal action against Penang govt

PAS has instructed its lawyers to study if legal action can be taken to defend the dignity of their sacked representatives in Penang.

“Their reputation is the main priority. The Penang state government’s actions may cause the people to think the sacked representatives are problematic. It tarnishes their reputation,” Penang PAS commissioner Muhammad Fauzi Yusoff told The Star Online on Monday.

According to him, the removal of PAS representatives from local councils and the state administration has become a problem in PAS and DAP’s relationship.

At the PAS muktamar (general assembly), it was suggested to the Syura Council that the party cancel political cooperation with DAP.

However, as no final decision had been made, Muhammad Fauzi said it was not right for the Penang state government to have gone ahead with the sacking.

“Is this a moral leadership? If they can do this to us, what can the rakyat hope for from a leadership with such morals? Maybe there is some unknown reason behind all this,” he added.

Muhammad Fauzi said any action taken must be based on standard operating procedures.

“They did not decide based on fairness, but based on perception. As a state government, they should be following proper procedures,” he said.

At present, former PAS municipal councillor Iszuree Ibrahim is taking the Penang government to court over his sacking from the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) and his termination as a councillor.
He was reportedly issued the dismissals after criticising the Penang state government at the 60th PAS general assembly late last year.

‘Onus is not on Najib to take action over money transfer allegations’

The Prime Minister should not take any action against The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) over its report that RM2.6bil was transferred into his personal bank accounts, says Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz.

He said the report was a mere allegation and WSJ should have provided the evidence, facts and proof.

“If Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak only takes action against WSJ, it would look like he is being selective. The Prime Minister must be consis­tent. He must sue all the parties,” he said.

Nazri said it did not matter that a special task force comprising officers from Bank Negara, MACC and police was going through documents taken from the offices of three 1MDB-linked companies.

“WSJ still has to make a police report. If it has given it to the task force, then there is no need for the Prime Minister to sue.

“Just allow the task force to complete its work and investigation, and we can take it from there.

“In circumstances like this, it is the party alleging wrongdoing who must report to the police. The Prime Minister does not have to sue it.

“There is no need for the Prime Minister to do this. What is more important is, he should focus his time and effort towards the people and nation. I am going to urge him not to sue,” said Nazri, who is a lawyer by training.

The Prime Minister’s Office has responded to the articles in WSJ saying that it was an act of “political sabotage” while 1MDB has insisted that no funds were transferred to Najib’s accounts.

Najib has maintained that the allegations are a political ploy engineered by his opponents in an attempt to topple him.

Rahman Dahlan slams WSJ's 'gutter' report on 1MDB

 A Cabinet minister has criticised a foreign report quoting an "unnamed investigator" and claiming that 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) funds were transferred into Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's personal accounts.

Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan, the Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister, said that he was "shocked" by Wall Street Journal's (AWSJ) "wanton allegation".

"If they were dead serious about the authenticity, the reports should have named the sources," he said on Twitter.

"Quoting 'unnamed investigator' as a basis of a very defamatory report, AWSJ has sunk to the level of gutter journalism of Sarawak Report.

"C'mon AWSJ... you can do better than that," he said.

Abdul Rahman hoped the publication was not using malicious and tampered documents in their report.

Wall Street Journal and Sarawak Report published an article on Friday quoting an "unnamed investigator", claiming that almost US$700mil (RM2.63bil) of 1MDB funds went into the Prime Minister's personal accounts.

The Prime Minister's Office responded to the report saying it was "political sabotage."

1MBD insisted that no funds had been transferred to Najib's accounts.

It's political sabotage, says PM's Office

 Claims that 1MDB funds were transferred to Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's personal accounts is "political sabotage," says the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

The Wall Street Journal and the Sarawak Report published articles on Friday claiming that almost US$700mil (RM2.63bil) of 1MDB funds had been transferred into the Prime Minister's personal accounts.

‎"Despite the Prime Minister's successful stewardship of Malaysia's economy against global headwinds - as recognised this week by Fitch's upgrade - there have been concerted efforts by certain individuals to undermine confidence in our economy, tarnish the Government, and remove a democratically elected Prime Minister.

"These latest claims, attributed to unnamed investigators as a basis to attack the Prime Minister, are a continuation of this political sabotage," the PMO said in a statement on Friday.

It said that the criminal leaking of documents, doctoring and extortion have taken place to "mislead the media and public".

"So it is incumbent on responsible members of the media not to accept documents as genuine unless verified by the appropriate authorities," it said.

The Prime Minister's Office also noted that 1MDB had already stated that the company never provided funds to the Najib in a statement that was released earlier on Friday.

Playing batu api not a path to heaven, says Najib

Instigating and slandering other people will not guarantee a person a place in heaven, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Najib said the Prophet Muhammad highlighted the importance of paying zakat (tithes) as one of the ways for a follower to be enter heaven.

"The Prophet was asked what are the ways for a Muslim to be closer to heaven.

"He said do not associate Allah with another being. Perform your prayers. Pay your zakat. And lastly, take care of the silaturahim (relations) amongst Muslims," he said at a ceremony to present contributions to the poor under the Wilayah Persekutuan Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP) in Serdang.

Najib said there was no point for a Muslim to pray five times a day but continue to instigate other people.

"Slander, instigating, ruining harmony, would not guarantee you a place in heaven," he added.

Najib said the country's improving economy as stated by the Fitch Ratings was due to the Government's effective policies.

This was reflected in the positive improvement in the Muslim community's economy as the Baitumal collected RM585mil in zakat this year, RM53mil more than last year.

"If our policies do not bring positive improvements and good results, the Muslim community's economy wouldn't be improving positively like this," Najib said.

On Wednesday, Fitch maintained Malaysia's long-term foreign currency issuer default rating at A- and local currency at A, with the outlook revised to stable from negative previously.

"I'm not the one to say our economy has improved but Fitch. The country's good economic management was recognised by the international rating agency," Najib said.

1MDB: Will PAC probe 'missing RM42bil'

1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) wants the Public Account Committee to confirm if it will investigate the allegation of the “missing RM42bil" in the same way other allegations against 1MDB are to be investigated.

Its president Arul Kanda Kandasamy said this must be done in "fairness and due process” owing to PAC member Tony Pua’s recent statement published online on why no action has been taken against 1MDB by the authorities.

“In the interest of fairness and due process, 1MDB trusts that YB Tony Pua will confirm that the PAC will investigate this specific allegation of “RM42 billion missing” in the same way he is insisting that other allegations against 1MDB are to be investigated,” Arul said in a statement on Thursday.

Arul said the PAC "is the lawful authority to verify allegations such as whether the RM42bil has ‘disappeared’ from 1MDB.

Pua had questioned the Home Ministry’s action of issuing a show-cause letter to The Edge for its reports on 1MDB although no action has been taken against those named in the daily’s reports.

Pua, the Petaling Jaya Utara MP, described the move as "intimidating the business daily."

Arul noted that Pua had conveniently ignored to highlight that 1MDB "is currently the subject of inquiries by a number of authorities, including the Auditor-General, Bank Negara Malaysia and police."

“And last but not least, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), a committee that YB Tony Pua himself is a member of.

“1MDB is fully cooperating with these inquiries,” he said.

He added that 1MDB had been providing evidence and proof relating to the company and will continue to do so in the course of ongoing investigations by the authorities.

He also noted that 1MDB had repeatedly issued clarifications to address allegations made by various parties, including Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Pua and The Edge media group.

Arul reaffirmed 1MDB’s stand that action must be taken by the lawful authorities based on the due process of the law if any wrongdoing was uncovered.

Najib: Fitch upgrade a reflection of Govt's economic policies

Fitch’s upgrade on Malaysia’s outlook is a reflection of the Government’s financial and economic policies, says Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

“I am pleased that Fitch, the international ratings agency, has maintained Malaysia’s credit rating and revised our outlook upwards to stable.

“In view of the many uncertainties in the external sector, the newly-announced ratings are indeed a reflection of our Government’s financial management and economic policies,” the Prime Minister said in a a Facebook post on Wednesday.

The ratings agency had maintained Malaysia’s long-term foreign currency default rating (IDR) at A- and local currency at A, with the outlook revised to Stable from Negative previously.

It said Malaysia’s fiscal finances have improved and that it views progress on the GST and fuel subsidy reform as supportive of the fiscal finances.

In July 2013, Fitch had attached a “negative” outlook to Malaysia and suggested earlier this year that there was a 50% chance of a downgrade in the rating.

MIDF Economic Research expects Fitch Ratings’ move to revise the outlook on Malaysia’s sovereign rating to “stable” from “negative” to boost the ringgit.

The international ratings agency had also affirmed Malaysia’s long-term foreign currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at 'A-', with local currency IDR at 'A'.

MIDF Research said the review is in sharp contrast to the market's expectation of a downgrade by as much as two notches on Malaysia’s credit rating, following its earlier remark in March on such a possibility because of worsening trade balance and a state investment company's struggles to meet its debt obligations.

“Fear of the downgrade has dampened the equity market sentiment and sent the ringgit to near 10-year low earlier this week,” it said.

MIDF Research said this is positive for Ringgit which it had highlighted earlier as the only supporting factor for Ringgit in the near-term although “we have not been anticipating any downgrade from the rating agency”. 

“The move to upgrade our outlook from “Negative” to “Stable” is a bonus factor. The USD/MYR has recovered slightly by 0.9% to 3.773 , erasing fears of the currency tanking further to hit the 3.80 psychological level. 

“Nonetheless, we believe that the room for further upside is still limited given that the sentiments across the emerging markets sphere is still negative. We maintain our view that Ringgit will close the year at 3.70 – 3.75,” it said.

Home Ministry issues show-cause letter to The Edge over 1MDB reports

The Home Ministry has issued a show-cause letter to financial daily The Edge over its reports on government investment arm 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

A ministry’s official told The Star that the publication was issued with a show-cause letter on Monday evening.

This follows a statement last Wednesday by Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who had said that The Edge Media Group owner Datuk Tong Kooi Ong should be held responsible for “inaccurate reports” on 1MDB.

“The Edge and its owner Tong Kooi Ong must be held responsible for publishing inaccurate reports and false information. The Edge should have verified the facts before publishing the articles,” said Dr Ahmad Zahid last Wednesday.

Dr Ahmad Zahid had said that news website Sarawak Report had become a source of false information on 1MDB and that this false information had been later reported by The Edge and other media. He added that Tong must take responsibility for publishing incorrect news, which should have been verified beforehand.

It was reported on Monday that The Edge and Sarawak Report may be summoned over their articles on 1MDB, with Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar saying that the police would call anyone in if deemed necessary.

‘KFC posting’ not by me, says Ahmad Maslan

A Facebook posting allegedly by Datuk Ahmad Maslan (pic) claiming that the public is not financially burdened, proven by the fact that many still visit Kentucky Fried Chicken, has been confirmed to be false.

The Deputy Finance Minister also pointed out on Wednesday two other postings which were circulated and falsely attributed to him.

“Ini 3 siri palsu. Mmg sah ini drpd geng fitnah. Jawatan saya pun salah, disebut TMK2. Saya TMK1. Mana ada B1RM? BR1M. (This is a series of three false postings. It is confirmed that this is from the ‘slander group’. Even my position is wrong, I was attributed as being Deputy Finance Minister II. I am Deputy Finance Minister I. There is no such thing as B1RM. It’s BR1M),” he said in a tweet.

He also explained why the KFC posting could not have been from him.

“Ini tweet palsu kerja org tak betul & fitnah. 1/6 saya tak ada tweet begitu. Jika dimaksud hari ini, kan bulan puasa. (This is a false tweet and slander. On June 1 I did not post such a tweet. If it was meant to be today, then this is the fasting month),” Ahmad said.

He added” “Saya tiada akaun Fb ikon i <3 account="" berbaju="" does="" facebook="" fb="" fitnah="" have="" i="" ikon="" ini.="" ini="" itu="" melayu="" my.="" not="" saya.="" saya="" semua="" spt="" the="" twitter="" untuk="" utk="" y=""> MY icon. That is only for my Twitter. The icon for my Facebook is of me wearing a baju melayu. This is all slander).”  

The false Facebook posting, which was allegedly posted on June 1 read: “Minyak NAIK RM0.10 tapi KFC ramai juga orang. Beban dimana?! (The price of petrol goes up by RM0.10 but there are still many people in KFC. What burden?!”

Although originally posted on Facebook, the false update has also been shared on Twitter and other social media platforms.

The two other false updates, also posted on Jun 1 read: “Tak suka B1RM boleh BR4M! (If you don’t like BR1M you can BR4M!)” and “Saya tak la bodoh sangat.. Kalau bodoh tak akan la saya duduk di kerusi Timbalan Menteri Kewangan 2.. Ingat tu sedara sedara (I am not so stupid.. If I were I would not be sitting on the Deputy Finance Minister II seat... Remember that).”