KUALA LUMPUR — An apparently damning interview of the disgraced former prime minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, in the ‘Man on the Run’ investigative documentary on the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) global financial scandal is sure to capture audiences’ attention.
The interview, a highlight in the nearly two-hour-long film, depicts Najib in the time after the high court found him guilty in 2020 of criminal breach of trust, abuse of power, and money laundering involving SRC International Sdn Bhd, a former 1MDB unit.
When pressed on the extent of his involvement in the 1MDB scandal, an ostensibly flustered Najib went on to deny all wrongdoing on his part, instead pointing to those around him and “the system” for failing to “alert” him of suspicious dealings involving the sovereign wealth fund.
Najib, who is currently serving a 12-year prison sentence after the Federal Court upheld the high court’s guilty verdict, also took issue with the alleged lack of legal action against those he perceives to be responsible for squandering billions of ringgit from the 1MDB funds.
“What was I accountable for? As prime minister, I was supported by an entire system, many people (were) supposed to advise (me), (but) no action was taken against them, that’s my contention.
“People who are equally, if not worse, in terms of culpability…why has no action been taken against them when they received money for personal use?
“Does it mean that (once) action is taken on the man at the top, then everything else (and) everyone else is absolved? I’m sure it doesn’t mean that. If you’ve committed (any) wrongdoing, you should be prosecuted. This is what is wrong with the reaction to the 1MDB saga,” he said.
In answering a question on whether he believes that he has failed Malaysians, Najib said: “In a sense, I failed (because) I trusted the wrong people, yes.”
“The system failed me as well, that has to be noted. The system that was supposed to support me failed me and the people of Malaysia.”
The former Umno president was also quick to pin the blame on fugitive Penang-born businessman Low Taek Jho, also known as Jho Low, claiming that the titular man on the run was “manipulative and influential” enough to manipulate government and corporate figures.
“I didn’t know (that the 1MDB) management and members of my office were in cahoots with (Low). They received a substantial amount of money,” Najib said in the interview.
“(Low) was very manipulative; he made sure people around him and the system were on his side. He could influence them. The names supposed to protect the government failed in their responsibilities, including the central bank (Bank Negara Malaysia).”
For DAP policy advisor Tony Pua, the interview has provided the public with a chance to witness for themselves Najib’s confidence in answering hard-hitting questions relating to the 1MDB affair, which is infamously known as the most colossal financial scandal in history.
“The great thing about the documentary is that it leaves you to see it as it is. It gives you an opportunity to see him (Najib) when he was prime minister and after he has been found guilty of corruption.
“Viewers can see and judge Najib. He had his chance to defend himself to the people out there,” Pua told a press conference after a media screening of the film last night.
The former Damansara MP also said that while some Malaysians might be quick to move on from the 1MDB scandal, it is good to be reminded of just how deeply the affair had damaged the nation from a local financial and global reputational standpoint.
“Yes, we can move on; we cannot trap ourselves in the past, but we must remember…be wary and cautious, take all measures to prevent (such misdeeds) from happening again.
“This is a story that needs to be told. A story of greed and corruption in our nation. Our children need to know that this is something that we should never allow to happen again here in the future.”
Directed by Cassius Michael Kim, the movie, which also features interviews with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Petrosaudi whistleblower Xavier Justo, will premiere in cinemas here tomorrow. — October 18, 2023