By Md Izwan
The Malaysian Insider
Oct 13, 2012
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 12 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak refused tonight to disclose the source of a political donation received by Umno Sabah that was the subject of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) investigation of Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman.
“It is a political donation. All parties have a right to receive political donations. As long as it is through the right channels, it is not an offence,” the Umno president (picture) told reporters after chairing a Barisan Nasional (BN) supreme council meeting.
“We are not at liberty to disclose… the opposition also receives donations and they don’t disclose,” he said.
Yesterday, Parliament was told the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had cleared Musa of graft and money-laundering allegations after finding that the over S$16 million (RM40 million) allegedly channelled to the Sabah chief minister through corrupt means was meant for Sabah Umno’s use.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz said the Attorney-General’s Chambers had shelved the matter after finding no element of corruption in the case, which was first raised by whistleblower site Sarawak Report earlier this year.
In April this year, Sarawak Report had revealed documents allegedly from the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) showing that a Sabah lawyer was holding some US$30 million in a Swiss bank account for Musa.
The report also claimed that a paper trail showed that the millions in euro as well as US, Hong Kong and Singapore dollars had been channelled from several firms managed by Hong Kong-based timber trader Michael Chia to a number of British Virgin Island companies and subsequently to the lawyer’s Swiss account.
Musa has since denied any link with Chia, who was arrested and charged with money laundering after attempting to smuggle S$16 million (RM40 million) back to Malaysia in 2008.
According to media reports, Chia had at the time allegedly told the Hong Kong authorities that the money belonged to Musa.
Musa had previously accused Sarawak Report of defaming him, claiming the graft allegations were likely part of a conspiracy by his detractors who wanted to topple Barisan Nasional (BN) in the east Malaysian state.
He had said he would offer full co-operation to the authorities if he was required to but stressed that in the meantime, his focus was on serving the state instead of “entertaining these frivolous allegations”.
Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) said today it was appalled with the government’s conclusion that “no element of corruption was proven” in its investigation of Musa.
The anti-graft watchdog urged the authorities today to ensure a full disclosure of the political contribution.
#1 by monsterball on Saturday, 13 October 2012 - 12:49 am
As the PM…he should show an example by telling Malaysians where the money came from.
Then he can force the Opposition to disclose where their funds came from.
That should be the way…to win confidence from voters.
Instead…he said he will not reveal where it came from…and keep accusing Opposition also never reveal.
There is no doubt PR has millions donated to them…by Malaysians within the country….no smuggling in like the Govt. is doing.
PR not revealing the sources who are donating is their rights to protect doners.
Najib cannot prove PR funds are smuggled in.
If PR is caught with millions brought in like what he did….Najib will not hesitate to take legal actions.
As it is and as it was like before….all talks…no actions taken….for Umno B is breaking all laws and rules.
#2 by monsterball on Saturday, 13 October 2012 - 12:58 am
If that was a donation…why must the RM40 million smuggled in like a thief?
As a responsible government…..why don’t Umno B show good example..open the bag….and tell the Immigration Officer…that’s for UMNO b?
Why don’t he explained that.
After being caught red handed…the twists and turn starts again.
#3 by monsterball on Saturday, 13 October 2012 - 1:44 am
Imagine…a PM telling Malaysians…why should he discloses who donated RM40 million…. when PR never discloses where their funds came from.
Who is governing and who is showing bad examples?
Najib feels no shame at all ..with his boloney….rubbish excuses…over and over again….when he is caught red handed.
#4 by monsterball on Saturday, 13 October 2012 - 1:57 am
All companies apply TT {telegraph transfer} for huge amount and Bank Negara will be informed by the bank.
Our PM prefers carrying a crony to carry RM40 million cash without declaring.
If that is donation….than Najib is a Saint reincarnated.
Catch a man with RM40 million of anything…bring in like a thief…that man will stay in jail…and police will beat him..till he tells…who made him do that.
He will make a deal to get a light sentence and reveal the mastermind.
In Malaysia…anything Umno B does are all legal.
#5 by monsterball on Saturday, 13 October 2012 - 1:58 am
“prefers a crony carrying….” is what I meant…3rd sentence.
#6 by monsterball on Saturday, 13 October 2012 - 2:03 am
Najib said Soros wanted to meet him and not he wanted to meet Soros.
Who is Najib and who is Soros?
I am sure Soros will not be bothered to expose the liar…and Najib knows he is very old and will ignore.
So he says…Soros want to meet him..like he is sooooo important.
#7 by monsterball on Saturday, 13 October 2012 - 2:12 am
Everyone knows…the whole of Europe keep an arms length away from Umno B’s crooked politicians and they shake hands or smile to snap a photo for diplomacy sake..not that they sincerely respect the Umno B politicians at all.
Soros want to meet Najib???……hahahahahahaha
Recall…US1 million was paid by Mahathir to meet Bush…exposed ….and he said the money was donated by someone….same style…different strokes.
#8 by monsterball on Saturday, 13 October 2012 - 6:29 am
For this RM40 million fiasco…..and the way Najib responded…many decent Umno B lawmakers are feeling shameful.
Corrupted all can be…but not to this extend to smuggle millions in.
Najib has lost all creditability.
He is so desperate to use millions to buy votes….resort to smuggle in money that cannot see daylight.
Transparency Movement has call for Najib to reveal all.
I guess he has calculated..he is not afraid to be sued…nor an action to declare Umno B an illegal party.
It takes much longer than the 7 months he has.
He will do as he likes….and if BN wins…he will be safe….so he thinks that way.
If BN loses…all is lost anyhow.
Now…it is the voters that need to decide firmly and seriously.
#9 by Bigjoe on Saturday, 13 October 2012 - 8:06 am
Suaram get a tiny amount from a Soros fund and they sent the blood-sucking vampires after them. But RM40m – no explanation necessary..
Did anyone really expect anything else from what we know of UMNO/BN? We have always known this is who they are. Why would we expect anything else?
Let face it, the days of arguing about ‘right’ is long gone between UMNO/BN and voters. Its simply about ‘MIGHT’ – raw ugly power. They can get away with it and desperate to so they do..
#10 by Cinapek on Saturday, 13 October 2012 - 9:57 am
The PM said..”…..It is a political donation. All parties have a right to receive political donations. ..”
I agree with you Mr PM. But my question is why you cannot divulge who or what is the source of this donation? And why would an UMNO donation be carried by a Sabah Chinaman who has absolutely no connection with UMNO since even the UMNO chief in Sabah, Datuk Musa Aman claims he has no connections with Michael Chia. UMNO has more than 3 million members and I am sure you can find one trustworthy member to carry RM30m, which is no small sum to be entrusted to a Chinaman who has no connectin to UMNO, or is there? And one more question, if the money is donation to UMNO, why does it need to be carried back in cash form? UMNO never heard of telegraph transfers through the banking system? Isn’t it more risky to trust a Chnaman with no connection to UMNO to carry RM30m of UMNO’s money than to transfer it through the banking system?
Mr PM, please do not insult our intelligence. It is bad enough that the source of the money is highly suspicious. It is worse when you think we are 5 year old kids that will believe your crap.
#11 by SENGLANG on Saturday, 13 October 2012 - 10:17 am
This was just tip of the iceberg. Political funding is everywhere . Political donation is perfectly legal in US and the rich can openly declare their support to the party of their choice. And the donations make are transparent not like in the case here where the source is most likely from illegal source. That make it different from the US case. When a political party received illegal source as its funding this will subject the political party to be held ransom by the donor. But this kind of donations are not secret but it happen all the while. Explain or not this only shown that BN politic is very much tainted with all illegal funding.
#12 by sheriff singh on Saturday, 13 October 2012 - 10:59 am
When you need an Ali Baba to carry RM 40 million cash across international boundaries then something must be very suspicious. No currency declarations.
Why can’t UMNO remit the money by TT ? Many UMNO people even use the hawala system.
Has Mr Chia done this before ? Who else have been the mules ?
Is Musa Aman so powerful that the UMNO leadership has to come out to protect him ?
It would appear that the UMNO / BN government is stopping all investigations into their affairs by not agreeing to the Mutual Assistance Agreement requests with the foreign investigators.
#13 by sheriff singh on Saturday, 13 October 2012 - 11:07 am
Some mysterious person(s) has made a huge political donation to UMNO. Is he (they) trying to gain control or has control over the UMNO / BN government?
Where is that ex-TI personality who says he is fighting for transparency, good governance and ethics? He’s been so silent on these matters after proclaiming he is very supportive of the Najib ‘transformasi’.
#14 by dagen wanna "ABU" on Saturday, 13 October 2012 - 11:21 am
As usual, horsing around ala “Satu Umno Style”.
#15 by dagen wanna "ABU" on Saturday, 13 October 2012 - 11:29 am
BTW, “it was only a donation” umno said. But that was not mentioned by musa’s crony when he was caught in HK.
And since donation, according to umno is legal (well nothing wrong with that), then why the under cover manner used to bring the money out of HK? And and the failure to declare the money in HK before taking it out?
And in hard cash (??!!) all 16million of it. Yeah, just like what sheriff asked somewhere above, why not wire transfer them straight to umno’s account?
#16 by SENGLANG on Saturday, 13 October 2012 - 12:20 pm
40m in cash? Why cash? every body has the answer. That amount of money can not go through the banking system as simple as that. Then next why not? Any one can give his answer but the PM will answer you go ask the carrier don’t ask me. Nazri will answer, every body has the right to carry cash as he think is safe for him to do so.
yidin’s answer, why not everybody carry cash. Don’t you?
mat tyson’s so what I used to carry much more than him. He was just unlucky he can speak english, i don’t
#17 by Winston on Saturday, 13 October 2012 - 12:45 pm
Telegraphic transfers may leave a trail to enable the PR to find out the source!
And it’s plain as day light that the regime is doing what it wants.
You can all bang your heads against the wall for all that it bothers!
#18 by drngsc on Saturday, 13 October 2012 - 1:20 pm
By not saying much, he has confirmed what we all know.
The money is haram and he knows it. Ah Jib-Gor is behaving like a kid caught with his hands in the cookie jar. He knows that what they have done is wrong.
Our task is to get these kinds of information to the kampongs and Felda schemes.
We must change the tenant at Putrajaya. Failure is not an option. GE 13 is coming, coming…….. First to GE 13, then to Putrajaya. A few months left. Let us all work very very hard.
Change we must. Change we can. Change we will.
#19 by rockdaboat on Sunday, 14 October 2012 - 2:18 am
This is disgraceful and disgusting!
Now it has come to a point that everybody knows the 40 Millions are HARAM!
Whether he discloses the source or not is no longer important!
#20 by PRmaju on Sunday, 14 October 2012 - 7:42 am
This is tip of the iceberg. Umno has been stealing money from the country N Rakyat for decades, mamakthir perfected the art, the rest are lousy followers who got caught!
#21 by waterfrontcoolie on Wednesday, 17 October 2012 - 7:02 am
How could he? when he is not only part of the charade but the Conductor behind it!