PUTRAJAYA: A former Malaysian ambassador to Saudi Arabia told the High Court that Datuk Seri Najib Razak was excited when the Saudi monarch decided to provide financial assistance to Malaysia.
Prof Datuk Syed Omar Al-Saggaf, 81, testified that the former prime minister had told him about the donation after he (Najib) attended a meeting with the late King Abdullah Abdulaziz Al Saud in Riyadh on Jan 11, 2010.
According to Syed Omar, who was under examination-in-chief by Najib’s lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, the closed-door meeting was held at King Abdullah’s palace a day before Najib’s official visit to Saudi Arabia.
The witness said King Abdullah, Najib, and the then minister in the prime minister's department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom had isolated themselves and went to the middle of the room after the meeting ended.
Muhammad Shafee: How were you informed about King Abdullah’s offer of financial assistance to Najib?
Syed Omar: I was personally informed by Najib immediately after the meeting ended, as we were on our way out of the meeting hall towards the Malaysian delegation’s vehicles.
Syed Omar said in the meeting, both parties discussed several issues such as the haj pilgrim quota and financial assistance from Saudi Arabia to Malaysia.
“King Abdullah during the meeting had pledged his support to the then Malaysian federal government as he was awed by our social harmony.
“The social situation in Saudi Arabia is not that good at that time due to clashes between different sects in the country,” Syed Omar said.
When cross-examined by Deputy Public Prosecutor Kamal Baharin Omar, Syed Omar, however, said he did not know the kind of ‘financial assistance’ Najib was referring to.
On Oct 30, Najib was ordered by the High Court to enter his defence on four counts of using his position to obtain RM2.28bil gratification from 1MDB's funds and 21 counts of money laundering involving the same amount.
The hearing continues before Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah on Wednesday.
