Professor Datuk Syed Omar Al-Saggaf, told the High Court here today that he only learned of the Saudi ‘political donation’ to Datuk Seri Najib Razak from the former prime minister.
The 76-year-old former Malaysian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia confirmed that Najib and former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom had met the late King Abdullah Abdulaziz Al Saud in an unofficial meeting on Jan 11, 2010.
The fourth defence witness said the closed-door meeting was held at King Abdullah’s palace a day before Najib’s official visit to the gulf country.
Syed Omar described the relationship between King Abdullah and Najib during the meeting as ‘very close’.
“Both parties had discussed several issues such as the Haj pilgrim quota, Arab Spring, and aid 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 due to clashes between different sects in the country.
“King Abdullah was also worried that the Arab spring could reach Asia,” he said during the examination-in-chief by Najib’s lead counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah today.
Syed Omar said King Abdullah, Najib, and Jamil Khir had isolated themselves and went to middle of the room after the meeting ended.
“They talked in private and all of them looked very focus in their discussion… I do not know what they discussed.
“After the meeting, I was told that King Abdullah decided to give a donation to Najib for his disposal in the 2013 general election,” he said.
When cross-examined by prosecutor Datuk V Sithambaram, Syed Omar said it was Najib who told him that.
“Najib told me about it after the meeting… I did not hear it from King Abdullah himself,” he said, adding that he also had no information on the £50 million donation from King Abdullah to Najib six years ago.
Sithambaram: Do you know how much ‘donation’ Najib received from Saudi royalty?
Syed Omar: I have no idea.
Sithambaram: In 2014, King Abdullah in a letter said they want to donate £50 million to Najib but the latter only received £10 million instead. Why is that?
Syed Omar: I do not know.
Sithambaram: I put it to you that if the then prime minister received donations for election purposes, that it is the interference of the government.
Syed Omar: I have no idea.
Sithambaram: This money given by King Abdullah, is to assist Najib to win the general election.
Syed Omar: This was told to me by Najib, not by the palace.
Syed Omar also said he has never heard of donations between heads of state being returned to their original sender.
Sithambaram: I give you a donation, do they expect you to return a donation?
Syed Omar: So far as long as I know, I didn’t know about that, but I never heard there is a return.
Sithambaram: You never heard there is such thing as returning the donation that has been given?
Syed Omar: Ya.
Najib has maintained throughout his trial that multiple transactions amounting to RM3.2 billion from 2011 to 2013 were Saudi royal family donations.
Najib also testified that he returned the money because he was not comfortable with a large sum lying in his bank account, fearing that if such information were leaked, it would be manipulated out of context politically.