Cabinet must ask PM to take leave while his accounts being probed, says DAP

KUALA LUMPUR — The Cabinet must convene an emergency meeting and urge Mr Najib Razak to go on "leave" until a probe is completed on allegations that US$700 million (S$944.5 million) was deposited into the Prime Minister's personal accounts prior to the 2013 general election, Democratic Action Party’s (DAP) Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua said.

Mr Pua said that Barisan Nasional politicians must now decide whether to take a stand on the matter or "sink together" with Mr Najib, who faces increasing allegations of having taken funds from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), among others.

The latest allegations were published in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), which cited documents and investigations conducted by Malaysian authorities as having made the findings.

"This is actually a very gentle call. In any other developed democracy, the PM would have resigned," Mr Pua told a press conference at the DAP headquarters today (July 3).

Mr Pua said that the government must follow the example of Mara chairman Mr Annuar Musa, who yesterday suspended two Mara officials amid a probe into the Mara investment arm’s controversial purchases of Australian properties in Melbourne.

"The PM must be held to the same standards. There are no two ways about it," he said.

Mr Pua also said that Mr Najib himself must step forward to answer the allegations, not any other parties.

The allegation comes just weeks after another WSJ report that Mr Najib had received a US$10 billion donation from a corporate company following a deal struck by 1MDB, and that the funds were in turn used for the 13th general election.

Mr Najib has not responded to either allegation. He also faces calls for his resignation by former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad. THE MALAYSIAN INSIDER