(Apr 27): Some senior leaders in Umno are spreading information about debt-ridden 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) within the party in a bid to prevent further damage to Putrajaya’s finances, veteran journalist Datuk A. Kadir Jasin said in his blog today.

The former chief editor (pic, right) of Umno-controlled English-language daily The New Straits Times said he was shocked to discover that 1MDB documents had been sighted by Umno leaders who formerly supported Najib, and that the information was being shared in attempts to bring light to the scandals surrounding the Finance Ministry-owned fund.

"I was taken aback when, a couple of days ago, several senior Umno leaders, including ministers who were previously staunch supporters of the prime minister, told me a different story.

"One told me that some of them had seen and examined 1MDB documents, and are sharing the information with party members to ensure no further damage is done to government finances and the culpable parties be held responsible," Kadir said.

Kadir took such developments as signs that former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was "not alone in his fight to get the prime minister to leave Putrajaya".

Dr Mahathir, who has been criticising Najib since last year, recently said that he felt alone in his quest to get answers from Najib over 1MDB's scandals and other national issues such as Putrajaya's policy of giving cash handouts to people and the murder of Mongolian woman Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Despite bringing in other issues, including the "lavish lifestyle" of Najib's wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Dr Mahathir has kept the bulk of his criticism on Najib focused on 1MDB, its massive debts and opaque operations.

The former prime minister recently said Najib, who is chairman of the fund's advisory board and the finance minister, could not be forgiven for 1MDB's RM42 billion debt.

Kadir in his blog post today also said 1MDB had been given a chance to explain its dealings at a recent gathering of investors in Kuala Lumpur, but had not been present.

"As a bona fide government strategic investments company, it should not have shied away from the gathering whose keynote speaker was the prime minister.

"If 1MDB’s board of advisers, directors and management are so darn sure of their modus operandi and transparency, they should have attended the conference," Kadir wrote of the Invest Malaysia 2015 forum held on April 23.

At the forum, CIMB Group chairman Datuk Seri Nazir Razak had also expressed disappointment that 1MDB had declined to attend the event.

Nazir, who is Najib's brother, said the fund's absence was "not helpful" as it only furthered negative perceptions about scandals surrounding 1MDB.

“We invited 1MDB but they turned us down. They declined to participate. I am disappointed because I think they would have been an important element of Invest Malaysia, given the backchat on the topic.

“It's important for us to put the elephant in the room behind us. This whole 1MDB issue, the earlier it is cleared up, the better for everyone. When issues are not cleared up, people tend to expect the worse,” Nazir had said, according to news reports. – The Malaysian Insider