Official explanation of Najib Razak’s US$681 million ‘Saudi gift’ met with widespread outrage and incredulity

Malaysia’s official explanation of the US$681 million that ended up in Prime Minister Najib Razak’s personal bank account – it was an entirely proper gift from friends – has triggered derision and fresh questions in a country already well-used to allegations of graft.

On Tuesday, Malaysia’s attorney general, who was appointed by Najib, cleared the premier of wrongdoing in a scandal that has gripped the nation, declaring that the money was a “personal donation” from the Saudi royal family.

The announcement capped months of evasion by Najib on the source of the money and apparently laid to rest any threat of prosecution by Malaysian authorities. But Malaysia’s opposition, anti-graft activists and social media users pounced on the perceived implausibility of the unexplained Saudi largesse and alleged a government whitewash.

It also emerged yesterday that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had recommended to the attorney general that Najib be charged with criminal misappropriation.

“It’s a pretty straightforward case,” a source from the MACC said. “We had made recommendations for charges to be filed that the attorney general has instead chosen to reject.”

The MACC said in a statement it would seek a review of the decision but declined to make any further public comment.

The Saudis themselves have not helped the situation, with The Wall Street Journal quoting a Saudi official saying the kingdom’s government had no knowledge of the donation and that such a royal gift would be “unprecedented”.

Senior opposition figure Lim Kit Siang called the episode a “high-water mark” in Malaysia’s well-documented history of government corruption.