FORMER prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was invited as a keynote speaker due to his commitment to Malaysia-China bilateral ties, said the World Chinese Economic Forum (WCEF) chairperson Cheah Chyuan Yong.
“When Najib was prime minister for nine years, the Malaysia-China ties were strong especially when it came to economic development.
“And that is why forum organisers did not really consider his conviction of corruption charges,” Malaysiakini reported him as saying.
WCEF’s decision to invite Najib as its keynote speaker for today’s event raised eyebrows as the Court of Appeal recently upheld the guilty verdict against Najib for embezzling funds worth RM42 mil from SRC International Sdn Bhd.
In fact, Justice Datuk Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil also offered a harsh rebuke to the Pekan MP, saying “there is no national interest here, just a national embarrassment”.
On that note, Cheah reminded the public on how Najib’s father, Malaysia’s second prime minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein had laid the foundation for diplomatic ties with China in the 1970s.
This year’s event saw 250 delegates comprising Government leaders, industry personalities and budding entrepreneurs discussing economic issues pertaining to the rising superpower.
Besides a session on the topic of employing multilateralism when tackling global crises, the occasion will also include discussions on China’s Belt and Road Initiative. – Dec 27, 2021
