Thursday 28 Mar 2024
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KUALA LUMPUR (March 2): Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has joined his brothers in dismissing talks over the extent of inheritance left by their father, the late Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, saying that Malaysia's second prime minister was frugal and had integrity, Utusan Malaysia reported today.

The prime minister said all his life, his father had been known to uphold those ideals and was never involved in any wrongdoings.

"Throughout his career, Tun Abdul Razak was never involved in corruption or wrongdoings.

"He placed the country's needs above his own and this can be seen in his engagement with the people and also contribution to the country, which has become his legacy.

"Since his involvement in politics till his last days in office, Tun Abdul Razak was always known to practise a simple lifestyle and was frugal as well,” he told the Bahasa Malaysia daily.

His remark comes after his brothers – Datuk Johari, Datuk Nizam, Datuk Nazim, and Datuk Seri Nazir – issued a statement dismissing talks of the extent of inheritance left by Razak.

"We wish to put on record that Tun Abdul Razak was a highly principled man, well-known to all who knew him for his frugality and utmost integrity and any statement or inference to the contrary would be totally false and misleading to his memory and to his service and sacrifices for the nation.

"We take issue with anyone who taints his memory, whatever the motive.

"We would also like to add that our whole family is united on this issue," they added in the three-paragraph statement sent to The Malaysian Insider recently.

Their statement came just days after The New York Times quoted a statement from the Prime Minister's Office that Najib's wealth came from a family inheritance after reports that his stepson had bought opulent properties in New York City.

In the Utusan Malaysia report today, Najib also said his father's frugality went to the extent that their education were sponsored by his grandfather, Tan Sri Mohamed Noah Omar.  

On February 8, The New York Times highlighted the wealth of businessman Low Taek Jho and his role as a property investor, whose transactions involved various parties including Riza Aziz, Najib's stepson.

Low had bought a luxury apartment in Manhattan, and also a Beverly Hills mansion through shell companies, and later sold them to Riza, although this has been denied by Low.

The paper also reported that Najib had been tainted by news of his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor's spending on jewelry and designer handbags.

The issue of Najib's family inheritance arose when the paper, furnishing invoices and other documents as proof of jewellery purchases for Rosmah, had asked the Prime Minister's Office for a response.

The paper quoted the prime minister’s office as saying: “Neither any money spent on travel, nor any jewellery purchases, nor the alleged contents of any safes are unusual for a person of the prime minister’s position, responsibilities and legacy family assets.”

The article prompted DAP lawmaker Tony Pua to question Najib's source of wealth, since his father was known for being frugal.

Pua urged the prime minister to declare his assets as well as explain his family's spending on luxury goods and properties, adding that even the president of the United States declared his assets and family's expenditures annually under law.

 

 

 

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