Najib Razak’s speech at Beijing-backed World Chinese Economic Forum sparks criticism in Malaysia
- An ex-diplomat called the presence of Najib, convicted over his role in the plunder of the 1MDB state fund, at the event a ‘calculated insult to our nation’s honour’
- The 68-year-old’s backers said the invite was sent out before the conviction was upheld and analysts said the organisers may have tried to use the forum to ‘resurrect his political image’
Najib, who was convicted of seven charges related to scandal-hit state fund 1MDB that carry a 12-year jail term, delivered the address at the 2021 World Chinese Economic Forum (WCEF) on Monday. He is currently out on bail and is appealing the conviction.
According to the event’s website, it was jointly organised by the state-run China Chamber of International Commerce (CCOIC), its business unit China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and Malaysia-based think tank International Strategy Institute (ISI).
The Minister-Counsellor of the Economic and Commercial Office of the Chinese Embassy in Malaysia, Zhang Peidong, delivered virtual remarks before Najib spoke.
Malaysian property tycoon Lee Kim Yew, a co-founder of WCEF, distanced himself from the event on December 27, saying it was a “huge embarrassment” that Najib had been invited.
Lee said he had initially founded the WCEF but had since changed its name to the World Chinese Economic Summit and then to the Global Chinese Economic and Technology Summit this year. He said the decision of the organiser of the December 27 event to describe it as part of the WCEF series of forums would cause confusion.
