SIBU: The Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) has reiterated that funds it received from the then Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak in 2013 were not derived from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), stressing that the matter had been fully investigated and resolved through the courts.
In a statement on Sunday (Dec 28), SUPP said political parties in Malaysia, including SUPP, rely on donations from members, the public, and at times, contributions from coalition partners to fund their operations.
SUPP explained that the donation in question was received before 2013, well before any court findings involving the former prime minister and 1MDB funds.
“At the time the donation was received, there was no indication or awareness that the funds were linked to any illegality,” it added.
The statement was issued to clarify a Facebook post by Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong on Saturday (Dec 27), who had asked SUPP to return the RM1mil received from Najib.
Yong claimed that the money was from 1MDB funds and not from an Arab donation.
SUPP said that in 2019, more than six years after the donation had been utilised, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) issued a notice to forfeit RM188,132.26 from SUPP’s bank account.
According to SUPP, the funds received in 2013 had already been fully spent long before the forfeiture notice, mainly on operational expenses including staff salaries, Employees Provident Fund (EPF), Social Security Organisation (PERKESO) contributions and taxes.
SUPP emphasised that the RM188,132.26 targeted for forfeiture in 2019 was unrelated to the 2013 donation and had no connection to 1MDB.
The party said MACC conducted investigations, interviewed relevant parties and was provided with all documents requested to support SUPP’s position that the funds were not from 1MDB.
“Despite this, MACC proceeded to file a forfeiture application at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur in 2019.
In July 2020, the High Court dismissed MACC’s application after it failed to prove that the funds were linked to 1MDB.
MACC later filed an appeal to the Court of Appeal but eventually withdrew it after several postponements,” the party added.
SUPP said the outcome of the case and the reasons for its dismissal were widely reported at the time, and that leaders from Sarawak DAP were fully aware of the court’s decision and the facts surrounding the case.
The party expressed disappointment that the issue has been raised again, accusing certain parties of attempting to revive an old and settled matter for political gain and of confusing the public over events that occurred more than six years ago.
SUPP also called on political parties, particularly those in the Federal Government, to focus instead on meaningful political funding reforms.
It noted that political financing reform is among the key agenda of the Madani government and urged lawmakers to prioritise improving laws governing political donations in the interest of transparency and good governance.
