KUALA LUMPUR (March 9): Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said SRC International Sdn Bhd paid RM170 million to Syarikat Putra Perdana Construction for a turnkey project.

SRC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the finance ministry. Najib said in Parliament today that Putra Perdana Construction returned the money to SRC, following cancellation of the project.

"The RM170 million paid to Putra Perdana Construction was for the purpose of payment for turnkey development project, but it was later cancelled and the full sum was reverted back to SRC," Najib said in a written reply to a question by Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua.

Pua asked Najib, who is also finance minister, to state the intention of SRC, which paid the RM170 million to Putra Perdana Construction between July 8 and Aug 8, 2014.

Pua also asked Najib to specify as to why RM27 million of the amount was channeled to the finance minister's bank account.

Najib said based on Malaysian parliamentary rules, he did not need to respond to allegations on the RM27 million, which was based on a news report.

"SRC does not have any information with regards to the issue on the money that was channelled to the bank account of Finance Minister, and this was based on news report from a portal, (in) which the source of the news was unverified.

"In view of this, under the Standing Order 23(1)(i), the matter need not be answered, as it is one to seek clarification over a news report," Najib said.

Kelana Jaya MP Wong Chen also asked Najib as to who approved the transfer of RM42 million from SRC to the prime minister's personal account without his knowledge, and whether the money was returned to SRC.

Najib said based on the standing order, he did not need to respond to the allegation which is based on a news report.
 
"SRC does not have any information with regards to this issue, and this is also based on news report by a portal, (in) which the source of the news was unverified.

"In view of this, under the Standing Order 23(1)(i), the matter need not be answered, as it is one to seek clarification over a news report," he said.