Former MCA president Dr Ling Liong Sik seems undeterred by Prime Minister Najib Razak’s threat to take the veteran politician to court over Ling’s call for Najib to vacate his position in Putrajaya, saying he would be ready to defend himself in court.
“I say to the Prime Minister, if you choose to sue me, I will defend myself. In all humility, I accept your challenge.
“I look forward to seeing the Prime Minister take the witness stand, as no doubt he would do if he says his reputation is at stake,” he said in a statement to the media, released today.
Ling also stated that he stood by his comments, and would not apologise to Najib.
Here’s an image of the press statement, shared on Twitter by The Malay Mail Online‘s Kamles Kumar:
Najib had instructed his lawyers to send a letter of demand to the former Transport Minister and close political ally of Dr Mahathir Mohamad for an apology, over remarks Ling had made last week accusing Najib of “taking the people’s money and putting it in his own bank accounts”, and demanding the PM resign over his alleged wrongdoings.
The MCA responded to the statements by saying Ling’s opinions were his own, and did not reflect the stand of the Chinese partner party in the Barisan Nasional coalition.
The statement was likely in reference to the RM2.6 billion revealed to have been transferred into Najib’s personal bank accounts in 2013, two months before the 13th General Elections.
While speculation was rife that the money had been funnelled from sovereign investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency stated that the money was instead a “political donation” from a “friendly Middle Eastern donor”, and not from 1MDB.
Ling seems to have cast his voice in support of similar accusations levelled at Najib by Mahathir, the country’s longest-serving prime minister and now Najib’s most vocal detractor.
With Ling adamantly sticking to his guns, the ball is now in Najib’s court to follow through on his threat of legal action against the former MCA chief.
