Malaysian gov't says fund into PM's account was legal political donations
Xinhua, December 3, 2015 Adjust font size:
The fund that went into Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak's account was political donations, which is legal in the country, his deputy said on Thursday.
Malaysia has no legislation requiring the declaration of political donations or sponsorships neither ban donations for political purposes, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamid told the parliament.
He was representing Najib in answering questions raised by members of the parliament, following reports by The Wall Street Journal earlier this year that some 700 million U.S. dollars from the controversial state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd., or 1MDB, has been transferred to Najib's personal accounts.
Najib has denied any wrongdoings. Ahmad Zahid said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has made it clear that the money entering into the prime minister's account was not from 1MDB but political funding.
Ahmad Zahid said the government led by Najib has vowed to regulate political funding but the efforts were hampered by the opposition. Enditem