by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for TanJung, Lim Kit Siang, in Penang on Monday, February 28, 1994:
Najib is the second Cabinet Minister to be specifically named in the British mass media allegations and he should give a full statement to clear his name
Defence Minister, Datuk Najib Tun Razak is the second Cabinet Minister to be specifically named in the British mass media allegations of corruption, bribery and improprieties involving the Malaysian Government and its leaders, and Najib should issue a full statement to clear his name.
The News Straits Times today reported that the London Sunday Times yesterday, in a front-page story, claimed that it had uncovered “evidence of the precise links” between overseas aid and the arms deals negotiated by the British Government with Malaysia,
Citing Foreign Office documents, the London Sunday Times said it showed that in 1988/ a specific commitment was made by George Younger, the then Defence Secretary, to tie directly the amount of aid awarded to Malaysia to negotiations for a RM5 billion Malaysian arms purchase deal from Britain.
The London Sunday Times quoted that in an interview with the paper shortly before the trade ban was imposed, Najib became indignant at suggestions that his wife was entertained in London by a middleman over a 70 million sterling pound “Short Brothers deal”.
It said Najib’s personal spokesman, Zulkifli Mohamed Alwi, later contacted the newspaper and said: “You must realise there will be serious consequences if the story is written.”
Najib must, state clearly his stand on the allegations in the London Sunday Times yesterday and explain what is the “Short Brothers deal”.