(Aug 17): DAP today urged Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to stop "making up stories and half-truths", instead come clean about the RM2.6 billion transferred into his accounts.

DAP national publicity secretary Tony Pua said that the prime minister should also explain if he had indeed transferred US$650 million from that amount to an account in Singapore after claiming that they were donations.

"Najib must stop making up stories along with the exposes which get published in foreign media.

“He should stop the lies and half-truths, and for once be honest and forthcoming with truthful complete answers over his RM2.6 billion scandal," Pua said in a statement today.

"He must explain where did this US$681 million really come from, and if US$650 million did indeed get transferred out of his account, as alleged by Sarawak Report."

The whistleblower site along with Wall Street Journal, had claimed last month that Najib had received US$681 million (RM2.6 billion) into his personal bank accounts prior to the 13th general election.

Sarawak Report later said that US$650 million of this money was actually transferred back to Tanore Finance, owned by Abu Dhabi’s International Petroleum Investment Corporation (Ipic) in August 2013, after Najib closed his bank account in Ambank, Kuala Lumpur.

Pua, who is also Petaling Jaya Utara MP, said Najib had previously refused to confirm or deny that the money was ever transferred into his accounts but had instead repeatedly insisted that he had never used the money for his personal gain.

"However, as it turned out, despite his silence on the matter, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) confirmed the transaction on his behalf.

“Apparently, MACC was informed that the money was donated by a Middle Eastern government and wanted to question the prime minister further on the "donation'," he said.

Following this, the DAP lawmaker said all top leaders from Umno came out with "guns blazing" to justify the "donation", with Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz saying that it had come from a "brotherly" Arab nation who wanted to ensure that a certain party won the 2013 election.

Others, including Barisan Nasional's strategic communications director Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan and Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, insisted that party president was allowed to hold funds for the party, although his deputy in Umno Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was completely unaware of its existence.

"The prime minister himself, two days ago defended the 'donation' by claiming that 'there is no regulation in respect to political donation. So you cannot say what is right and what is wrong, okay?'," Pua said, quoting Najib.

"Yesterday, Kuantan Umno division chief Wan Adnan Wan Mamat revealed to Sinar Harian that during a meeting of 146 divisional leaders with Najib last Wednesday, they were informed that 'it was an appreciation to Malaysia for championing Islam and for practising Sunni Islam (Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah)'.

"It obviously did not occur to them that such an 'appreciation' for Malaysia, if ever it was true, should be transferred into the government’s accounts, and not the private bank account of the prime minister."

Following the latest revelation by Sarawak Report that a huge sum of the "donation" was transferred back to Singapore, Malaysians are left stumped with Najib's previous claims, Pua said.

"If the money does indeed belong to Umno, why did US$650 million get transferred to Singapore?

"Are Umno leaders now going to claim that it is normal for Umno to hide billions of ringgit in donations in an overseas account?"

He also questioned, in jest, if Najib would now claim that the Middle Eastern donors had later decided that they wanted their money back or that he had come down with a sudden bout of guilt and gave the money back.

Pua said Najib must come out to explain the money trail, warning that the prime minister would be remembered as Malaysia's most tainted leader.

"If not, the prime minister will go down in history as the dirtiest, most dishonest and tainted premier in the history of Malaysia."

Najib has come under fire over the RM2.6 billion from both the opposition and within his own party, especially his deputy Muhyiddin, whom he axed from the Cabinet late last month.

The prime minister recently said he had been cleared by MACC of corruption over the RM2.6 billion in his personal accounts, which he added that it was on behalf of Umno, of which he is president, and not for his personal use. – The Malaysian Insider