Najib receiving a gift at the Hari Raya open house of the Felda Group at Felda Towers. Also present are Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Razali Ibrahim (second left) and Felda chairman Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad (second right). — Bernama photo
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said yesterday the government viewed seriously the civil suits filed by the United States Department of Justice with regard to 1Malaysia Development Berhad. He said it was in line with good governance which the government had always advocated.
“It should be noted that this is a civil suit and not a criminal action, and it is limited to the names mentioned in the DOJ report. So, in terms of the government, we will provide full cooperation to all the international investigating bodies,” he told reporters after attending the Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house of Felda Group here.
Najib said the government’s position had always been that it did not wish to see any act that violated the law. Najib said those people involved would have their say through the court process in the US.
“It means an individual has the opportunity to defend himself (or herself) in accordance with the judicial process. We should not make any conclusions so long as the process is not completed yet,” he said.
Commenting on his stepson Riza Aziz being named in the suit, he said “like anybody else he has his rights, and allow the process to take its course.”
When asked whether this civil suit would affect Malaysia’s ties with the US, he said it was a separate issue altogether, as this was relating to an individual and not the overall position of the two countries’ policies.— Bernama