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S$971m donation to BN was to combat Muslim Brotherhood: BBC

KUALA LUMPUR — The controversial US$681 million (S$971 million) donation in 2013 to the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition was from Saudi Arabia’s royal house as part of its initiatives to curb the growing influence of the Muslim Brotherhood.

KUALA LUMPUR — The controversial US$681 million (S$971 million) donation in 2013 to the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition was from Saudi Arabia’s royal house as part of its initiatives to curb the growing influence of the Muslim Brotherhood.

The BBC reported an unnamed source, which it touts to be “well-placed”, saying the US$681 million payment deposited into Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak’s private bank accounts was authorised by Saudi Arabia’s late King Abdullah ahead of Malaysia’s 2013 General Elections.

“There is nothing unusual about this donation to Malaysia,” the source was quoted saying. “It is very similar to how the Saudis operate in a number of countries.”

The source claimed the Saudi royal family has made similar multimillion dollar donations to Jordan, Morocco, Egypt and Sudan.

According to the BBC report, there were concerns that Islamist opposition party PAS — whose founders were said to be inspired by the Muslim Brotherhood organisation that started in Egypt — may make significant political gains in Election 2013.

However, the report also stated there has been little evidence to prove the Muslim Brotherhood has an established presence in Malaysia.

Malaysia’s Attorney-General, Mohamed Apandi Ali, cleared Mr Najib of wrongdoing over the cash deposits to his private accounts between March and April 2013 at a news conference on Tuesday.

Mr Apandi said he found no criminal offence as Mr Najib had returned a sum of US$620 million (S$884 million) to its Saudi donors in August that same year because “the sum was not utilised”.

Mr Najib said the findings confirmed what he had maintained all along: That no crime was committed.

Mr Apandi’s announcement capped months of uncertainty for Mr Najib, who has come under intense pressure to resign over the financial scandal in his biggest political crisis since he took power in 2009.

It comes a few days after the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had resubmitted its investigation papers into the US$681 million donation, as well as into SRC International, a former subsidiary of state investment firm 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), over another US$9.8 million that was deposited into Mr Najib’s account between December 2014 and February last year.

However, according to a Reuters report late yesterday evening, the MACC had recommended Mr Najib be charged with criminal misappropriation when it handed its findings to Mr Apandi last month, but this was not followed through by the Attorney-General.

Yesterday the MACC said it will refer Mr Apandi’s decision to a special oversight panel called the Operations Review Panel, which reviews cases that are not pursued by the Attorney-General’s Chambers. AGENCIES

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