Lifting asset freeze not enough to cover RM50mil fine, says Najib’s son

Lifting asset freeze not enough to cover RM50mil fine, says Najib’s son

4 hours ago

FMT Reporters

Nizar Najib says 'a lot more needs to be done' to raise the amount, and thanked all those who donated over RM36,000 in Pekan.

Peramu Jaya assemblyman Nizar Najib said contributors to the fund set up for his father came from various ethnicities and backgrounds.

PETALING JAYA:

Former prime minister Najib Razak would still be unable to pay the RM50 million fine for his SRC International conviction even if the freeze on his assets are lifted, says his son Nizar.

Nizar, the Peramu Jaya assemblyman, said lifting the freeze on the assets would nonetheless go some way to help his father pay off the amount, Pahang Media reported.

“But the reality is that a lot more needs to be done before we can raise the amount,” he was quoted as saying at a press conference following a Pekan Umno meeting last night.

Nizar also thanked members of the public who had contributed some RM36,000 to the fund in Pekan. Najib is the former Pekan MP.

Nizar, who is a Pahang executive councillor, said these contributors gave voluntarily and came from various ethnicities and backgrounds. It showed that Najib was still held in high regard by many Malaysians, he added.

“It’s no small amount, but we may need quite a while to collect the total amount. Whether my father can pay the fine or not will depend on the funds raised.”

Last week, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Ibrahim, granted Najib a conditional pardon in his SRC case, allowing the former prime minister to serve the remainder of his jail term under house arrest if he pays the RM50 million fine.

The Najib Razak Solidarity Fund was launched by Umno on Sept 18 to help the former prime minister settle the RM50 million fine. As of Sept 21, it was reported that the total collection had exceeded RM2 million.