KUALA LUMPUR: The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in 2015 vetoed Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz’s weekly column which questioned the controversial RM2.6 billion transferred into Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s private bank accounts.
The former international trade and industry minister revealed that her write-up on the issue was rejected by Bahasa Malaysia daily Utusan Malaysia due to orders from PMO.
“In 2015, I was already writing (a weekly column) for Utusan regarding why were we (Malaysia through then prime minister Najib) given RM2.6 billion, who gave the money and what for.
“While I was in hospital, two days later I contacted Utusan and was informed that PMO vetoed the article and that it was not allowed to go to print.
“I asked why? RM2.6 billion is not a small amount of money. You give something, for what in return? But Utusan said it (weekly column) could not be printed.
“I got so upset I started a Facebook account. During that day, the seeds of doubt was planted in me. There were efforts to stop questions (on the donation issue),” said the former Umno member.
She was speaking after attending the launch of the book Billion Dollar Whale at Kinokuniya Bookstore in Suria KLCC here this afternoon.
Penned by Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reporters Tom Wright and Bradley Hope, the non-fiction work covers the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal, which included the RM2.6 billion donation issue.
When asked what her thoughts were on the book, she said that each page served as a lesson on the extent that certain leaders are capable of doing to commit scams, lapse of governance and abuse of authority.
When asked on how the book portrayed Najib, she said it portrayed him as having been too kind and lax in the whole matter, which she disagreed with.
“It is not possible for anybody not to know,” she said in allusion to Najib’s claims that he was not aware of what was going on in 1MDB.
Present during the book launch was Wright, who was also there to do book-signing for avid readers, who formed a long queue stretching almost fifty metres outside the bookstore.
Among those also present were Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister Ong Kian Ming, Damansara member of parliament Tony Pua Kiam Wee and former Bersih 2.0 chairman Datuk S. Ambiga.
