‘No more haj using stolen money’

Guests of honour: Dr Mahathir and his wife Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali posing with a large turnout of Malaysians at the breaking of fast dinner event in Tokyo. — Bernama

PRIME Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad says the Government will not send any more Muslims to perform the haj pilgrimage using “stolen money”.

“Some people will not be able to perform their haj because the Government won’t be paying for them with stolen money,” he said at a dinner with some 250 Malaysians based in Tokyo, Japan, last night.

It is believed that the Prime Minister was referring to funds related to the scandal-ridden 1MDB.

Dr Mahathir said with the country facing a RM1 trillion debt, the effort to restructure and rehabilitate the country’s finances was not easy, as the huge debt would drag Malaysia down with not enough money to even administer the country.

“And some people would have to suffer. There will be a price to pay.”

Dr Mahathir accused his predecessor Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak of using stolen money to pay “everyone”.

“Stolen money has been used to pay everyone – fishermen, the village development committees, even BR1M. But we can’t sustain that,” he said.

While many people were asking for the arrest of the former prime minister, Dr Mahathir said this could not be done easily.

“People are waiting – when are we going to arrest Najib Tun Razak?

“It’s not so easy. We have to find evidence that will stand up in court.

“If the evidence is not strong and he is not found guilty by the court, then all the things we have done and said will be questioned by the people,” Dr Mahathir added.

He said with the right evidence, “hopefully”, justice could be served.

“I say, hopefully, because the people’s choice must be respected and we want to be a democratic country,” he said.

He promised that the Pakatan Harapan government would not run roughshod over the other branches of the Government, such as the judiciary.

“That will be a relief for Najib,” Dr Mahathir said, adding that the former prime minister would not be allowed to leave the country.

However, he said that many people did “disappear” lately, including Sungai Besar Umno division chief Datuk Seri Jamal Yunos.

He is now wanted by the police.

“But we hope that before they disappear altogether, we can punish them according to the law,” Dr Mahathir said.