Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad launches the FundMyHome project in Semenyih November 4, 2018. — Picture by Azinuddin Ghazali

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 8 — Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak suspects insider knowledge led to the speedy launch of the FundMyHome peer-to-peer platform, noting it was unveiled barely two days after the concept was announced in Budget 2019.

Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng tabled next year’s federal spending plan last Friday while the government launched the privately-operated FundMyHome on Sunday.

As Parliament has yet to debate the Budget and much less approve it, Najib said he was “impressed” by this speed.

“In simple terms: the Budget was tabled on Friday, the platform launched Sunday, and on Monday the Securities Commission said it will review the details.

“It is almost as though some parties were already aware this scheme will be announced,” he wrote on Facebook.

The former finance minister said that with the rest of Budget 2019, such schemes should still be at the planning or preliminary stages as the federal spending plan remains a proposal at this point.

He also expressed doubts about the benefits of the FundMyHome scheme, but said he will disclose these later.

Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad launched the privately operated FundMyHome platform on Sunday.

The platform is operated by The Edge Media Group owner Datuk Tong Kooi Ong’s EdgeProp Sdn Bnd.

Tong’s media group played a crucial role in exposing the 1MDB corruption scandal.