The solidarity fund launched to help former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak pay his RM50 million fine has reached RM1 million, less than a day after it was launched.
UMNO secretary-general Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki announced on Facebook that the Tabung Solidariti Najib Razak had hit the RM1 million mark as of 9.30am on Saturday (Sept 19).
Alhamdulillah! As of 9.30am this morning, the Najib Razak Solidarity Fund has reached RM1 million,” he wrote.
He also encouraged supporters to continue contributing, even if they could only afford RM10.
Over RM634,000 collected within first 3 hours
The fund was launched on Friday (Sept 18) following the announcement of Najib’s conditional pardon.
According to Asyraf, contributions poured in quickly, with the fund collecting RM634,562.02 within its first three hours.
He added that many supporters contributed smaller amounts such as RM10 and RM50 according to their respective means.
UMNO launched the initiative to help Najib settle the RM50 million fine attached to his conditional pardon.
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim granted Najib a conditional pardon on Sept 18, allowing him to serve the remainder of his SRC International prison sentence under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028.
The order is subject to Najib paying the RM50 million fine and complying with the stipulated conditions. Should he fail to comply with any of them, the conditional pardon will be revoked and he will have to continue serving the remainder of his sentence in prison.
Najib has been serving his sentence since Aug 23, 2022, following his conviction involving the misappropriation of RM42 million in SRC International funds.
Some netizens question the fundraiser
Following Asyraf’s RM1 million update, the initiative drew mixed reactions from netizens, with several questioning the decision to raise money for Najib.
One commenter suggested that a similar solidarity fund should instead be set up to help other prisoners, while another questioned why people from lower income groups should contribute towards the fine.
Another argued that money raised could instead be channelled towards those facing financial hardship, including the poor, asnaf communities and orphans.
Others questioned the rationale behind collecting donations for someone who had been convicted in the SRC International case.
However, not everyone opposed the initiative.
One commenter pointed out that the contributions were voluntary, saying those who wanted to donate should be free to do so while those who did not could simply choose not to contribute.
The comments reflect differing views among those responding to Asyraf’s post and do not necessarily represent wider public sentiment.
At the time of writing, the fund has collected RM1 million towards the RM50 million amount, based on Asyraf’s latest update at 9.30am on Sept 19.
UMNO Will Launch Donation Drive To Raise Funds For Najib’s RM50mil Fine
