Najib Razak's Party Seeks RM50 Million in Crowdfunding, but Receives Mock Donations of 1 Sen

The Malaysian opposition party UMNO has launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise RM50 million for former Prime Minister Najib Razak, who is serving a house arrest sentence. Despite the campaign's goal, it has sparked widespread public backlash and mockery online.

The campaign, which has collected over RM1 million in donations, was met with fierce criticism from Malaysians who were incensed by the possibility of Najib's house arrest. Critics have used the opportunity to lob insults at Najib, with some donating as little as 1 sen and attaching derogatory comments to the donation.

Some donors even edited screenshots to claim that they had paid the entire RM50 million to Najib, while others made references to previous allegations of crimes and offenses linked to him. The donations were made using bank transfers, which allow donors to attach a message to the recipient.

The crowdfunding campaign was launched after Najib was granted a conditional pardon, allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest subject to the payment of a RM50 million fine. Najib's family has expressed gratitude to supporters, but the campaign has also faced criticism from political opponents.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke resigned from his post over the move, while Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim clarified that the final decision on a pardon rests with the ruler of a state or the Malaysian king. Anwar also stated that his advice did not amount to a recommendation for Najib to be granted a pardon and would not affect legal proceedings in the former prime minister's other ongoing cases.

UMNO's crowdfunding campaign has been met with skepticism, with some questioning why the party is mobilizing its grassroots to raise funds for Najib rather than recovering losses linked to the 1MDB scandal. Johor DAP vice-chief Sheikh Omar Ali used a village analogy to make the point, asking why villagers whose money had allegedly been misused would then be asked to contribute towards the perpetrator's fine.

The controversy surrounding Najib's house arrest has sparked intense public attention, with a mobile police station set to be deployed outside his Kuala Lumpur residence. The case has also raised questions about the impact on public confidence in the system and international perception.