Najib: I did not steal, I'm a victim of political attacks

PEKAN: Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak (pic) said he did not steal from the people and is now the victim of political attacks in order to weaken Umno.

"I'm not a person who steals what belongs to the people," said Najib when addressing members of the Pekan Umno branch during a meeting he officiated on Sunday (May 20).

"The people of Pekan knows I did not steal. For 42 years I have served the people here.

"Now I am targeted because I was a Prime Minister and the leader of the political party. So if my brand is weakened, then Umno's name will also be weakened. This is a political strategy," he added.

He said that as someone who believed in the principles of democracy, he respected the choice of the people and readily surrendered his position as Prime Minister.

"There were those who said that I would not surrender over power peacefully, that I would cause trouble but that didn't happen," he said.

Najib added that he would continue to support the fight for Umno's case, even though Barisan Nasional no longer controls Putrajaya.

"I readily accept the defeat with an open heart but now we must continue to fight for the people and we must show the people that we are sincere," said Najib who stepped down as Umno president last week.

It was the Pekan MP's first visit to his constituency after successfully defending his seat during GE14 but which also saw Barisan lose the simple majority in Parliament.