Dr M questions RM100 million house for ‘thief’

Dr Mahathir Mohamad today questioned the RM100 million house to be built for former prime minister Najib Razak despite the latter’s conviction of criminal charges and pending jail sentence.

Speaking in the Dewan Rakyat, Mahathir said Najib was a convict who had been found guilty and sentenced to 12 years in jail and fined RM210 million in relation to funds from former 1MDB unit SRC International.

“But he has not been sent to jail and he has not paid the fine,” he said.

“Is this the service that the government now wishes to reward? So the prime ministers to come will all steal, because after they steal the money, they will get more money, and even the money that is stolen will be given back.

“This is the new government and its new policies,” he added.

MalaysiaNow previously reported that Najib had requested a “privilege” from the government in the form of a 2.8-acre residential property worth RM100 million in the capital city.

The “privilege” to Najib would include the government surrendering the ownership of the premium land covering more than 120,000 square metres in Bukit Petaling, an exclusive hillock in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, as well as the construction of a bungalow on the site at a total cost of RM100 million.

It is understood that Najib made a formal request to the government early this year following a site visit of the vacant land.

Mahathir said the land and the house should have been explained in the budget tabled last month.

“I myself was prime minister for 22 years but I never took any land, just my pension.

“Here, though, after working for a while, stealing money, embezzling money, misusing money and misusing power, he is given a present of RM100 million.”

Continuing to question the provision of the house for Najib, he said RM40 million for the house alone was a huge amount.

“RM60 million for the land and RM40 million to build a house for this convict? Build the house for RM26 million, like the one I stayed in before.

“But no, the one who did wrong here is given RM100 million. The finance minister should explain why money was given to a rogue.

“This person should be in jail but instead, he is free to go to Singapore,” he said.