Mahathir prevents scandal-hit Najib from leaving Malaysia
Malaysia’s scandal-tainted former Prime Minister Najib Razak and his wife have been banned from leaving the country following a shock election defeat amid reports that he might be trying to escape justice.
Newly-elected Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Saturday he had stopped Najib from leaving the country, and sacked the attorney general who had cleared him of involvement in a multi-billion-dollar scandal.
The announcement came shortly after Najib said in a Facebook post that he and his wife Rosmah Mansor were planning to take a holiday abroad.
“The immigration department has just now blacklisted Najib and Rosmah from leaving the country,” said Mustafar Ali, director-general of the immigration department.
Earlier in the day, Najib said he was going to take a “short break” after his long-ruling Barisan Nasional coalition lost to an alliance headed by 92-year-old Mahathir.
“I will take a short break to spend time with my family whom I have not seen enough of in recent years. I pray that after this divisive period, the country will unite,” he tweeted.
“I apologize for any shortcomings and mistakes, and I thank you, the people, for the opportunity to lead our great nation.”
Reacting to the Saturday ban, Najib gave no reasons for the authorities' decision but said he would abide by it.
“I have just been informed by the immigration department of Malaysia that my family and I are not allowed to go abroad. I respect the decision and I will remain in the country with my family,” he noted.
Since his defeat, there have been reports on social media that Najib and his wife might try to flee the country as the new government has vowed to launch a full-scale investigation into a massive financial scandal that the former leader has allegedly been implicated in.
Najib is accused of misappropriating billions of dollars through his pet project state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), and making deposits into his private accounts worth up to $1 billion.
1MDB is currently under international probes in at least six countries, including Switzerland and Singapore, over charges of money laundering and bribery.
Najib denies any wrongdoing in connection with losses at the fund.
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