KUALA LUMPUR – The application for a residence was made in 2018, said former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak as he rebuffed the details of the RM100 million gift revealed by Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz.
In a Facebook post yesterday, Najib said he made an application for residence in 2018 after the 14th general election.
He added that the government offered him three parcels of land to choose from, and he picked the one closest to Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.
He said the land belongs to the government.
“The story behind my application for residence pursuant to legislation was made in 2018 after the 14th General Election. Suddenly, it was revealed a few days before the Melaka residents are to cast their ballots.
“I notice the use of old stories to incite hatred against me is being done again ahead of the Melaka election.”
He added that the RM100 million value was an estimation made by “pro-Perikatan Nasional portal MalaysiaNow”.
Najib’s RM100 million gift was the subject of a heated commotion in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
Tengku Zafrul told the lower house that Najib’s application was presented to the cabinet after the Budget 2022 tabling.
If the RM100 million gift was to be included in government expenditure, Tengku Zafrul added that a supplementary bill is required to be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat.
During the finance minister’s Budget 2022 winding-up speech, Tengku Zafrul was interrupted by Langkawi MP Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who brought up the issue that the government was planning to gift Najib RM100 million in the form of a house and a plot of land.
Amid the heated bickering, Tengku Zafrul sidestepped questions while referring lawmakers to the Prime Minister’s Department to get answers. – The Vibes, November 19, 2021
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