KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 14 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today that he will not "flinch an inch” away from Barisan Nasional’s efforts to win the 15th general election (GE15), despite the "cruelty” exacted upon him and his family.

The Star quoted the former prime minister as saying at the Wanita Barisan Nasional (BN) convention today that the coalition will win GE15, and that the women’s wing will have his support as a leader.

"Tomorrow is important for me as it is the final appeal at the Federal Court. Although today I was supposed to be busy with my lawyers, I chose to be with Wanita,” he reportedly said at the convention held in the World Trade Centre here.

Tomorrow is the start of Najib’s final appeal against his conviction in the SRC International Sdn Bhd case.

"No matter what they do, no matter the ‘cruelty’ inflicted upon me, my wife and my family, I will stand firm and not flinch an inch and fight alongside Wanita,” he reportedly said.

Najib’s wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, was also reported to be at the event.

On July 28, 2020, the High Court convicted Najib on seven charges involving abuse of power, money laundering and criminal breach of trust.

He was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment and fined RM210 million.

Najib also accused the Opposition today of trying to play up the littoral combat ship (LCS) project scandal for the general election, and compared it with the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal before GE14.

He said that he had raised six questions regarding the LCS project scandal that the Opposition have yet to answer.

The questions can be found on Najib’s Facebook post earlier today.

"I admit that there are delays (to the LCS project). It is not easy to make an advanced combat ship. This is not a yacht or a cruise ship,” he reportedly said.

On August 4, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) revealed in Parliament that cost overruns in the LCS project had totalled RM1.4 billion, adding that no ships had been delivered despite five being scheduled to be delivered this month.

The project is the largest procurement in the history of the Defence Ministry with a total cost of RM9 billion.