MELAKA – After withdrawing the request for his housing and land entitlement as former prime minister with an estimated value of RM100 million, Datuk Seri Najib Razak now wants the property to be sold.
In a Facebook post today, the Barisan Nasional (BN) adviser suggested for the Finance Ministry to sell the land and house, and the earnings to be put into a special i-Citra fund.
“I have withdrawn the application for the right of residence, as per the government act. My decision is final.
“The RM100 million raised can be put into a special fund to be given as a loan without any interest or service costs to those who have long asked for i-Citra to be increased from RM5,000 to RM10,000.
“This is if the finance minister still refuses to approve the EPF (Employees Provident Fund) withdrawal limit increase.”
He added that the sum could benefit 20,000 recipients, if given with a value of RM5,000 per person.
All EPF members below the age of 55 are eligible to apply for i-Citra, which would allow them to withdraw up to RM5,000 – subject to their total cumulative balance in Account 1 and 2.
In a separate post on his social media platform, Najib took a jab at Lim Kit Siang for “reiterating the same old 1MDB script”.
This came after the DAP veteran said Najib is undeserving of the housing entitlement due to his association in the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) financial scandal.
“This uncle is so boring. A day before polling day in Melaka, he asked me to stop campaigning for BN because I would cause the coalition to lose badly.
“He said I have left a debt of tens of billions of ringgit in 1MDB to be borned by the people for several generations.”
Najib said the same narrative was repeated by opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, which he had responded to earlier.
“I am still waiting for Anwar’s reply and now, I am also awaiting Uncle Kit Siang’s reply.
“If you dare, please deny. Such cowards. You keep accusing me, but when those questions have been answered, you are hiding.”
Najib also took a victory lap in a separate Facebook video where he thanked the Melaka people for giving BN a resounding victory yesterday. The coalition now controls 21 of the 28 seats in the Melaka assembly.
On Thursday, Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz confirmed the government had received an application by Najib for the RM100 million residence.
Tengku Zafrul said the government is considering Najib’s request for the special privilege, which is accorded to former prime ministers under the Members of Parliament (Remuneration) Act 1980.
Najib on Friday said his application for the residence was made in 2018 after the 14th general election.
He said the government had offered him three parcels of land to choose from, and he picked the one closest to Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.
Later that same day, the former Umno president slammed the door on the RM100 million “gift”, saying he did not want the matter to be an issue played up by opponents in the Melaka polls. – The Vibes, November 21, 2021
