Govt paid Najib RM1mil in special golden handshake

KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was paid over RM1mil in a special golden handshake payment by the government in May last year, the High Court heard.

Witness Zarina Yusuf, the deputy chief accountant at the Prime Minister's Department, said the special payment of RM1.017mil was in accordance with Section 21(1) of the Members of Parliament (Remuneration) Act 1980, whereby a former prime minister is entitled to allowances and privileges that may be determined by the Cabinet from time to time.

The witness told the court that Najib's last base salary as prime minister was RM22,826.65 a month and he also received a salary as an MP and other allowances.

Prior to May 2018, Najib's gross income was RM58,605.15 a month, said the witness.

Last May, Najib received a pro-rated salary of RM6,627.09, said the witness. All the payments were transferred to Najib's account with Affin Bank.

The bank account is not under scrutiny at Najib's ongoing court trial, which is focused on his accounts with AmBank and those of SRC International Sdn Bhd.