This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on November 17, 2015.

ANTALYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak (pic) said the Malaysian Islamic Economic Development Foundation (Yapeim) can take any action such as criminal defamation against anyone making unfounded allegations against it.

He said this when replying to a reporter’s question at a press conference here, on the allegation that funds from Yapeim, which should be utilised for charity work, had been misused to pay for trips by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom, and his delegation to travel abroad.

On the action by Jamil Khir to lodge a police report on the allegation, Najib said: “If he is innocent, he can take any action whether [to sue for] criminal defamation or civil defamation.”

National Oversight and Whistleblowers (Now) director Akmal Nasir in a series of press conferences last week, raised several allegations against Yapeim, which is under the prime minister’s department, and against Jamil Khir.

One was an allegation that funds meant for the charity foundation’s programmes in Rompin during the by-election in May this year went to a Wanita Umno leader instead.

Another was on the amount of monthly allowances paid to Yapeim’s top directors, who held multiple posts enabling them to take home huge sums.

Akmal has also accused Yapeim of misusing funds on Jamil Khir’s visit to the United States in 2014 that allegedly involved shopping trips and golf sessions.

The Now chief has refused to apologise despite a demand and threat of a lawsuit by Jamil Khir. — Bernama/The Malaysian Insider