Badawi comes to Najib’s aid as PM tries to calm critics

KUALA LUMPUR — Embattled Prime Minister Najib Razak, who has suffered a rash of criticism recently from one former Prime Minister, got a helping hand from another yesterday, a day after he went on television to defend his policies and actions.

Former Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi came to the defence of his successor, saying Mr Najib was not involved in the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu, a case that has dogged the PM for years and which has been used by former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to criticise Mr Najib.

Mr Abdullah’s defence of the Prime Minister is the latest twist in a rash of criticisms he has faced from Dr Mahathir over the murder of Altantuya, the crisis of investment fund 1 Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), his U-turn on repealing the country’s Sedition Act and the troubled rollout of a national Goods and Services Tax (GST).

Mr Abdullah said he had been sent the findings of the police investigation into the murder and “based on the findings from the thorough investigation conducted by the Royal Malaysian Police that was conveyed to me, it was confirmed” that Mr Najib “is not involved at all in the case”, he said.

Former police commandos Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar and Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri were found guilty in the case and sentenced to death by the Federal Court in January this year. Political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda, a confidante of Mr Najib, who was charged with abetting Azilah and Sirul, was acquitted by the High Court in 2008.

Despite the convictions, the motive for the murder of Altantuya was never revealed although it was believed she had demanded money from a defence contract being negotiated between France and Malaysia in which Baginda had been involved.

Sirul, currently held by Australian immigration authorities in Sydney, has since claimed that he was acting under orders when he murdered Altantuya. As a result, politicians such as Dr Mahathir have demanded the police to reopen the case.

The recent spate of criticism by Dr Mahathir drove Mr Najib to participate in an unusual television interview on Thursday to address the attacks and the subjects raised by Dr Mahathir.

Speaking on TV3’s Soal Jawab programme, Mr Najib acknowledged concerns over 1MDB’s debts, which now total around RM41.9 billion (US$11.4 billion), and stressed that efforts were being made to review the government-owned strategic investment firm’s finances.

Mr Najib also addressed lingering questions over Altantuya’s murder, stressing that he had not known the victim or had been involved in her killing.

“It’s an old case. Three times, I have made a religious oath including at a mosque in Permatang Pauh that I did not know (Altantuya) and I was not involved in her murder, directly or indirectly. The police have investigated the case and found no proof that I knew her. There is no evidence, no picture, nothing written down, no witnesses. The case was brought all the way to the Federal Court. Should we question the judiciary’s integrity after all this time?”, he said.

On the Sedition Act, Mr Najib defended his decision to retain the law despite an earlier promise to repeal it, saying there was a need to protect peace and harmony in a country as multi-racial and multi-religious as Malaysia. He also dismissed claims that the law was being used to silence members of the opposition.

He also addressed the public outcry against the GST, arguing that the current economic conditions favoured its implementation.

Not everyone in Malaysia however, was satisfied with the Prime Minister’s answers. The appearance spurred people on social media to question why the interview was recorded and not aired live. Many also said there should be a debate between Dr Mahathir and the Prime Minister.

Twitter user Penghasut Rakyat using the handle @PutraREFORMASI said: “Najib penakut (is a coward)...Pre recorded, don’t dare to be on live tv.. prepare questions and answers...That means he got something to hide.”

Twitter user Sangetha Jayakumar, using the handle @SangethaJ, was among those who hoped to see a live debate between the former and current Prime Ministers, posting: “This would be awesome if the interviewer was DrM. Or better still a live debate between the 2.”

Another user, @hafizshasim, had this to say of the interview: “Najib touches on every issue but as expected,no concrete answer. Efforts appreciated but expect more Mahathir bullets.”

In an editorial yesterday, the Malaysian Insider news portal said “the early consensus among viewers and those who aired their views in Facebook and Twitter postings is that Najib did not quite address questions raised by Dr Mahathir or opposition lawmakers, or even among ordinary Malaysians ... and therein lies the crux of the issue of Dr Mahathir’s criticism of Najib, or for that matter anyone’s criticism about the Prime Minister. There is no trust in him anymore and his answers last night are less convincing than ever”. AGENCIES