A FUNDRAISING drive launched by Umno to help former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak pay a RM50 million fine has drawn sharp criticism and sarcasm from social media users.
The campaign came after Najib was granted a conditional pardon allowing him to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest, with payment of the fine among the conditions.
One Threads user, huzwhose, called on those who would not donate to Najib to like the post so they could see how many shared the same position.
“Those who are not donating and will not donate to Najib, please give this a like. I want to see how many people still have some sense.”
The post has since received more than 31,000 views.
The comments quickly turned to questions over why members of the public should contribute towards paying the fine, with some users saying their money would be better spent helping those in need.
Nadira_nnmr_official said she would rather donate to an orphanage.
“Rather than donating to a thief, I’d rather donate to an orphanage. At least I’ll earn some merit from it.”
Others mocked the fundraising effort by pointing to the wealth and lifestyle associated with Najib.
“He has a Vellfire and then asks for donations… haha,” commented mattopex.
Curhat_genz wrote:
“Forget the rich and those living lavishly. Even when someone asks for donations by the roadside, if they’re not disabled, I don’t give either… hahaha.”
Another user, zaimzulkifli, questioned whether the fine could be paid without public contributions, referring to the value of assets and property associated with Najib.
He contrasted the campaign with ordinary people who seek help only after exhausting their own resources.
“Usually, people who ask for donations have already sold their inheritance, borrowed money from relatives and friends, and the whole family works hard to ease the burden. Those are the people who deserve help.
“But this is different. Don’t the people donating ever stop to think about how much the house in Jalan Langgak Duta is worth?”
Umno announced the fundraising campaign on Sept 18, after the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim granted Najib a conditional pardon.
The arrangement allows Najib to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028, subject to conditions including payment of the RM50 million fine.
Umno secretary-general Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki later said the campaign had collected RM165,645 within its first hour. – September 19, 2026
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