FORMER Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has conceded in the High Court that the RM42 million credited to his personal accounts bore no connection to an alleged donation from the Saudi royal family, stating that this understanding only emerged with “subsequent knowledge.”
Najib’s admission came during cross-examination in a civil suit filed by SRC International and its subsidiary Gandingan Mentari Sdn Bhd, which is seeking to recover funds it claims were misappropriated.
SRC’s counsel, Kwan Will Sen, repeatedly pressed Najib on whether he still maintained the money originated from a Saudi donor.
“At this very moment, do you still maintain that the RM42 million is from the Saudi donation?” Kwan asked.
“At that particular time, I thought it was a Saudi donation,” Najib replied.
When asked to clarify whether he now accepted that the funds had nothing to do with any donation, Najib responded, “Based on subsequent knowledge, yes.”
The lawyer reminded Najib that the so-called “Saudi donation” defence had already been dismissed by multiple courts in the separate SRC criminal trial.
“This particular defence of the Saudi donation was dismissed by all levels of the courts… is that a correct statement?” Kwan asked.
“Yes,” Najib said, adding that he “didn’t have the opportunity to do a full explanation at the Federal Court,” noting that one senior judge in a subsequent review had agreed he was not afforded a fair trial.
Kwan pointed out, however, that the majority decision still upheld the finding that the RM42 million was not a donation.
“All said and done… that is correct, isn’t it?” he asked.
Najib replied: “Yes. Unfortunately, yes.”
The court also heard that in Najib’s ongoing 1MDB trial, High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah had similarly concluded that no documentary evidence supported the Saudi donation claim. Najib confirmed this, noting that he has lodged an appeal.
Najib, 72, has been serving a six-year sentence at Kajang Prison since August 2022 following the upholding of his SRC conviction. His original 12-year prison sentence and RM210 million fine were halved by the Federal Territories Pardons Board in January 2024.
In December last year, Judge Sequerah sentenced Najib to an additional 15 years’ imprisonment and imposed an RM11.387 billion fine in the 1MDB case, to be served consecutively.
Najib was represented in court by lawyer Farhan Shafee. The hearing before Justice Raja Ahmad Mohzanuddin Shah Raja Mohzan is scheduled to continue tomorrow. - January 22, 2026
