The Reason Why The 408 Names Were Reduced To 41

By Raja Petra Kamarudin Last updated Jun 27, 2019

And have you noticed that Mahathir is not whacking Najib for spending RM2.6 billion? He knows this is what it costs even when he was the Prime Minister from 1981 to 2003. Mahathir is just whacking Najib on the so-called source of the funds. Mahathir is saying that Najib stole the money from 1MDB. And now Latheefa Koya and Tommy Thomas need to prove that or else besar kemaluan Mahathir.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Those who have ever been involved in political campaigns or elections know that a lot of money (mostly cash) is involved in financing these activities. When it was revealed that Najib Tun Razak spent RM2.6 billion to finance the 2013 general election, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said RM2.6 billion is too much because during his time he only needed to spend RM1.5 billion.

The issue of whether that RM2.6 billion came from 1MDB or from the Saudis is not the discussion here. Najib’s 1MDB trial will start in October so we will let the court decide whether Najib did steal that RM2.6 billion from 1MDB or not. If mere allegations are proof of guilt, then Azmin Ali should be facing charges of buggery and potentially will be facing a 20-year jail sentence.

Anyway, it is true that in every general election Umno requires at least RM1.5 billion. But the RM2.6 billion that Najib was alleged to have spent was not for the 2013 general election alone and not only for Umno. It was for a range of political activities and for all parties within Barisan Nasional. Hence, we are looking at RM1.5 billion for the 2013 general election plus RM1.1 billion for other political activities over five years (2013-2018).

Most of the political funding is in cash and does not appear in your personal bank account for obvious reasons: because you cannot spend more than RM200,000 per parliament seat

The amount Umno spent for the 2013 general election and over the five years from 2013 to 2018 is not an issue, as far as Mahathir is concerned. And who received the money – whether it is 408 names or just 41 names — is also not an issue. In fact, it has never been an issue for almost 40 years since 1981. To Mahathir, the issue is where did that money come from and was it stolen from 1MDB?

That and only that is the issue. If the money was stolen from 1MDB then someone has to pay for that “crime”. If, however, the money was not stolen from 1MDB, then end of story. Case closed. This is the focus of the entire “scandal”.

Are we saying this thing about spending RM1.5 billion for the general election and another RM1 billion for political activities over five years only happened in 2013? No, it has always been happening since the last 40 years. The only difference is no one talked about it before this. Then, after the 2013 general election, Mahathir decided to become a squealer or “stool pigeon” and spill the beans that Umno spent RM1.5 billion for the 2013 general election and another RM1 billion or so over five years to finance its political activities.

Mahathir said RM2.6 billion is too much because he only needed RM1.5 billion to finance the elections during his time

I mean, this is like the Chief of the Armed Forces retiring and then revealing that Malaysia has been financing and training Muslim freedom fighters (often referred to by the west as “terrorists”) from Southern Thailand and the Philippines since the 1980s.

Of course Malaysia has been doing that. And Thailand and the Philippines know about it. But then the retired Chief of the Armed Forces should not hold a press conference and officially announce it. If he does he would be arrested and charged for treason because he is bound by the Official Secrets Act even if he has retired.

Hence the same with a retired Umno President who reveals that Umno spends RM1.5 billion in the general election and another RM1 billion between general elections.

And why should the Umno President not reveal this? Well, mainly because this is illegal. First of all, the money spent is mostly cash and is not recorded and does not appear in the party accounts. (And that is the reason why Lim Guan Eng announced that the money Muhyiddin Yassin, Mukhriz Mahathir and Shafie Apdal received did not go into their bank accounts: because 90% of this political funding is done in cash and do not appear in the bank accounts).

Umno and Barisan Nasional have been spending RM1.5 billion to finance the general election since 1982 when they can legally only spend about RM105 million

Secondly, by law, Umno cannot spend more than RM50 million in the parliament and state seats it is contesting in the general elections.

Yes, RM50 million. That is all Umno can spend in the general elections. And even if you include the entire Barisan Nasional (non-Umno parties as well) for all the 800 or so parliament and state seats all over Malaysia, it cannot exceed RM105 million.

So, there you have it. Barisan Nasional cannot spend more than RM105 million in the 2013 general election. Hence if they had spent RM1.5 billion, then they have broken the law and all the Barisan Nasional candidates who won the election must be disqualified.

And, as Mahathir said, in the 1982, 1986, 1990, 1995, 1999, 2004, and 2009 general elections, Umno or Barisan Nasional have been spending RM1.5 billion per election. That means RM10.5 billion in total plus another RM1.5 billion when Najib took over to make it a grand total of RM12 billion.

Even PPBM spent RM600 million in GE14, not including the RM1 billion that PKR and DAP spent, which is more than ten times over the legal limit

That is the truth of the matter and no one from Umno, PKR, DAP, MCA, MIC, Gerakan, PPBM, PAS, Warisan, PPB, etc. will dare deny this. Since 1957, no one has followed the law. Everyone broke the law and we all know it. And we were all part of it. But we never complained because we knew a mere RM105 million will never win any election. If it is not RM1.5 billion then forget it. Baik balek rumah tidor. Buang masa saja bertanding pilihan raya.

When my daughter, Sara, wanted to contest the 2018 general election, I told her she will need at least RM2 million. The law says she can only spend RM200,000 but if she does not have at least RM2 million then forget it.

In three months, even before she could be nominated as a candidate, she had blown RM100,000. And that was even before anything. She ran out of money before the race could start. If she wanted to stay in the race then she needed to set aside at least RM10 million because after GE14 she still has to keep spending money until GE15.

MACC has “watered down” the list to protect the ex-Umno people now in Pakatan Harapan

Where in heaven’s name are we going to find RM10 million? And if Sara has to spend RM10 million over five years for one seat, multiply that by 222 seats and it will come to more than RM2.2 billion. So, is it surprising that Najib needed RM2.6 billion (and not just for Umno but for all the other members of Barisan Nasional plus NGOs, etc., as well)?

I am not shocked that Najib needed RM2.6 billion (which is not just for the general election but over five years). How much do you think Pakatan Harapan has been spending? Also, billions! If not do you think Pakatan Harapan could have ousted Barisan Nasional?

And have you noticed that Mahathir is not whacking Najib for spending RM2.6 billion? He knows this is what it costs even when he was the Prime Minister from 1981 to 2003. Mahathir is just whacking Najib on the so-called source of the funds. Mahathir is saying that Najib stole the money from 1MDB. And now Latheefa Koya and Tommy Thomas need to prove that or else besar kemaluan Mahathir.