Choose Najib or Dr Mahathir, Umno leaders must decide

Umno leaders must decide whether to back Datuk Seri Najib Razak or Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Singapore’s The Straits Times said today, following revelations that funds from 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) had been channelled into the prime minister’s bank accounts. The Sunday Times, the weekend edition of the daily, said Umno leaders were caught in an escalating power struggle between Najib and the former prime minister and “have to choose sides soon”. On Thursday, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) said documents showed US$700 million (RM2.67 billion) was moved among government agencies, banks and entities linked to 1MDB, which finally ended in the prime minister's personal accounts at the AmPrivate Bank in Kuala Lumpur, in five separate deposits. Najib has since denied the allegations, accusing Dr Mahathir of masterminding the latest attack against him. Today, a number of Umno leaders said Najib should sue WSJ if the claim that 1MDB’s funds were transferred into his account was false. Yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the allegations were serious and jeopardised Najib's‎ credibility as the prime minister and leader of the Malaysian government. He also urged the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), Bank Negara Malaysia and police, with the cooperation of the attorney-general, to begin investigations into the allegations. Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz, an adviser to the Special Affairs Department (Jasa), was quoted as saying Umno leaders would have to take sides, given how "desperate" Dr Mahathir has become to "get rid of Najib". Dr Mahathir has been a strident critic of Najib in the last few months, especially on his handling of 1MDB, of which Najib is the chair of the advisory board. 1MDB has racked up debts of RM42 billion and a few government-linked agencies have been accused of bailing out the state-owned fund. One Umno MP told the Singapore paper that Najib should have asked Bank Negara governor Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz or AmBank to deny the fund transfers. "Ask Zeti to deny or AmBank to deny. Nothing!" the MP was quoted as saying. – July 5, 2015.