Najib Abdul Razak testified that controversial currency speculator George Soros’ son was part of concerted overseas efforts to destabilise Malaysia, which has seen four different prime ministers since 2018.
Najib told the Kuala Lumpur High Court this afternoon about Alex Soros’ 1MDB documentary that spearheaded a misleading media campaign against him, which bolstered the politically motivated United States Department of Justice (DOJ) probe into the matter.
In rebutting the RM2.27 billion 1MDB abuse of power and money laundering trial against him, Najib said these coordinated efforts, spanning from strategic funding to media manipulation, reflect a collective intent to damage his reputation and destabilise Malaysia’s political situation.
“The success of these foreign influences is evident: Malaysia had four prime ministers in just four years after 2018, an unprecedented level of political instability.
“Before 2018, we had only six prime ministers over 61 years, a period that provided the nation with enduring stability.
“The extent and precision of these actions highlight not just a domestic but also an international agenda driven by vested interests to fuel a narrative of wrongdoing, irrespective of the facts.
“Such coordinated campaigns reveal a broader intent to destabilise Malaysia and undermine its leadership – all under the guise of promoting democracy,” said Najib, whose BN coalition was voted out in 2018 and replaced with the Pakatan Harapan administration that lasted until 2020.
Najib contended that he had neither knowledge nor involvement in wrongdoing and that the embezzlement at 1MDB was solely masterminded by fugitive businessperson Low Taek Jho (Jho Low) and members of the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund’s management.
In the late 1990s during the Asian Financial Crisis which hit Malaysia hard, then premier Mahathir accused Georse Soros of manipulating the country’s ringgit, leading to a long period of the ringgit being pegged to the US dollar rather than being allowed to float. The currency was unpegged in 2005.