Since giving his frank view on political funding which basically shut DAP up from attacking Dato Najib on issue of the RM2.6 billion transfer into Dato Najib's personal account [read here], Dato Abdul Rahman Dahlan have been in the news ever so often.
Over the weekend, he said UMNO constitution provided for account under President's name [read The Star here]. Tuesday yesterday he said fund is safer in President's account [read The Star here]. It could wrongly imply Treasurer, Sec-Gen and Executive Secretary of UMNO cannot be relied on.
In the program Landskap on RTM 1 last night, Rahman Dahlan brush off PAS's Deputy President, Tuan Ibrahim series of questions as posing trivial questions [read Rakyat Post here].
He said opposition and critics including Netizens were changing goal post as they stop accusation of missing and stolen 1MDB fund and raise new issues by posing new sets of questions without apologising for earlier wrongful accusation.
Actually, he had mentioned the same points few days earlier [read The Star here].
Original goal post
Rahman Dahlan repeated the denial that was confirmed by MACC. He stressed that the money transfered into Najib's personal account was not rechanneled from 1MDB.
His frankness to expand on that he may have hit home the simplistic answer for both the cynical urban and simple rural folks to explain for the non existent missing 1MDB fund invested in Petrosaudi.
As he explained it, he highlighted that there were US$1.9 billion were invested in Petrosaudi.
Upon maturity, 1MDB will get back US$2.38 billion. If money is lost as claims of faked oil field in Turkemenistan and squandered JV money is heard, the money returned will be less than RM1.9 billion and the gain of US$480 million will not be seen at all.
Off course, Petrosaudi issue need to be expanded. All the exposed money trail published by Sarawak Report, The Edge, etc. were based on the wrong assumption that Good Star Limited was a Jho Loh-owned company. Good Star is a Petrosaudi subsidiary.
For the time being, hear below the video of the program last night:
The Sun highlighted Rahman Dahlan saying political donation existed in all countries [read Sundaily here].
Peril of ignoring
While answers could be provided, the sheer size of RM2.6 billion and the use of personal accounts could not convincingly assure both grassroot UMNO members and public. Dato Najib realise this as he said there is sufficient time to explain further for the next election.
Nettizens could be gullible in changing goalpost. Discussion is shifting to issue of tax, jokes on what constitute corruptions and donation, inclusion of donation in the definition of "suapan" in the MACC Act 2009, and various law perceived to have been broken by the transfer.
In the meanwhile, Johor UMNO seemed vocal to the sacking of Tan Sri Muhyiddin. After his audience with the Sultan on Saturday, Menteri Besar Dato Khaled Nordin and his son, Akmal Saufi sounded like a rebel, as Annie said here.
It cannot be assumed that their attitude came from his highness's decree. Earlier, Johor Speaker Tan Sri Mohamed Aziz already warned that the new cabinet reshuffle could split the party. And, Muhyiddin said he will continue to speak on 1MDB [read ST here].
There is also a rumour that the resistance to Najib is not just limited from Johor. There is rumored royal resistance to planned changes for Kedah, Pahang, and Perak Menteri Besar. Rumour on Negeri Sembilan have subsided after MB's denial of viraled audio of himself.
Latest investigation by police on a MACC Director seemed not to be taken well. Yesterday at the MACC in Putrajaya, there was a special solat hajat perdana held to pray for the nation. It could be a silent protest for the arrest of DPP Suzaili which was handling MACC cases.
On the ground, it is more than the issue of moving goal post. The perception on the changes to the PAC members and top officials of organisations in the Special Task Force does not prevail well.
Dato Najib should be made aware. He could not assume Melayu mudah lupa and time will be the healer. Lesson to be learned again from 1MDB is not to response too late. The peril of ignoring happenings on the ground could be disastrous.
More so, when there is the feel of an impending clampdown on social media.