KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court hearing the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) trial involving Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak here today was informed that the former prime minister had received RM19,846.59 in allowances as a MP and Leader of the House (Dewan Rakyat) each month, from Jan 2015 to March 2018.
Malaysian Parliamentary Affairs Division administrative officer Farah Nurdiana Azhar, 42, said that beginning Jan 1, 2015, the monthly allowance received by Najib, as Pekan MP, was raised to RM16,000 from the RM6,508.59 he received before the date.
“Beginning Jan 1, 2015, the former prime minister received an allowance of RM19,846.59 including the allowance as Leader of the House,“ she said during examination-in-chief by deputy prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib on the first day of the trial in which Najib has been charged with using his positions to obtain a sum of RM2.3 billion in 1MDB funds and 21 money laundering charges involving the same amount.
Ahmad Akram: In general, what is the allowance eligibility of a member of Parliament?
Farah Nurdiana: As of Jan 1, 2015, an MP’s monthly allowance is RM16,000 and with other permanent allowances received on a monthly basis, it totals RM25,700.
Ahmad Akram: Prior to Jan 1, 2015, how much did MPs receive?
Farah Nurdiana: RM6,508.59.
The third prosecution witness said Najib had also received an allowance of RM3,846.59 as Leader of the House.
Farah Nurdiana said based on the former prime minister’s salary slips, his income from 2011 to 2014 was RM10,355.18 a month.
“The amount includes the allowances as an MP and as Leader of the House,“ she said.
Farah Nurdiana also informed the court that the payments for both allowances were made to Najib’s Affin Bank account number 100040014008.
Asked by Ahmad Akram whether the payments for the two allowances were ever banked into another account, Farah Nurdiana replied, “no”.
Farah Nurdiana also said that both allowances were paid by Parliament. — Bernama
