Najib: If I did steal US$700m, I wouldn’t do it locally

(Malay Mail Online) – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak posed a question to his detractors today – if he were to embezzle funds from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), why would he do it locally?

He made the statement alluding to the fact that if he were to have wired US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) of 1MDB’s funds into his own personal accounts, he would have done so in an overseas transaction.

“If I want to rob also I won’t do it in Malaysia, that is if I wanted to rob the people,” he said during a buka puasa event here today.

He added, however, that he would not betray the public by stealing public funds.

“But I am the prime minister, I will not betray Malaysia and the assets of Malaysia,” he said.