PUTRAJAYA, Oct 25 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today said Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s recent apology regarding the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal was “well received”.
“Well received, well received, well received,” Anwar simply replied when asked for his thoughts on the matter, after performing Friday prayer here.
Najib yesterday apologised to Malaysians over his mishandling of 1MDB, saying he was deeply shocked and regretful over what had happened at the Finance Ministry-owned company.
The former prime minister also said that he should not be made a victim or be held legally responsible over 1MDB, as he has been “punished politically”.
The apology came ahead of the High Court’s decision next Wednesday on whether Najib would be acquitted or have to defend himself against 25 charges over 1MDB’s stolen RM2.27 billion funds.
Yesterday, Najib’s son, Datuk Mohamad Nizar Najib, read out a press statement in which the former finance minister claimed to be innocent and to not have worked together with Malaysian fugitive Low Taek Jho to defraud 1MDB of its money.
“I have already been punished politically but as I am clearly not the mastermind and neither did I collaborate with Jho Low as recent events have shown, I should not be victimised legally too.
“I am still in deep shock knowing now the extent of the wretched and unconscionable shenanigans, and illegal things that happened in 1MDB,” Najib said in the statement.
Najib is currently serving his prison term as he was convicted over the misappropriation of former 1MDB subsidiary SRC International Sdn Bhd’s RM42 million, and cannot speak to the public directly as a prisoner.
Earlier in the same statement read out by Nizar, Najib said he had decided to make this statement “after much reflection over the course of 26 months in prison” and after what he described as “significant recent developments” regarding 1MDB.
