Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak speaks to Malay Mail during an interview inside his private residence in Kuala Lumpur May 19, 2018. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa

KUALA LUMPUR, May 19 — Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak told police yesterday that his life is at risk and asked to be put under witness protection in the ongoing probe into the 1Malaysia Development Berhad-related (1MDB) scandal.

Najib lodged a report yesterday at the Sentul police headquarters at 5pm. In the police report sighted by Malay Mail, Najib had said that there was a clear threat on his life and his family members and made a formal request to be placed under the witness protection.

Najib claimed in the report that through his sources, it was learnt that the threats are not only from within the country, but also overseas.

It was learnt that the threats were from people who were directly and indirectly linked to 1MDB funds internationally.

In his report, he said police officers from Bukit Aman’s commercial crime unit had first turned up at his residence on the night of May 10, just a day after the 14th general election.

He said the police officers were at his residence for 18 hours and seized items belonging to him and his son which had nothing to do with 1MDB.

In the report, Najib further stated that police had raided three premises at Pavillion Tower here and seized jewellery, cash and other personal belongings that he claimed was given to him by his friends.

He also stated that the cash was actually donations meant for Barisan Nasional’s election campaign.

Najib also said the investigators who raided his properties linked to him failed to provide him with a list of items that were taken.

The former PM stated that he had at all times only played an advisory role in 1MDb and was not involved in the decision-making process.

He said the decisions on 1MDB deals were made by the board of directors and the management.

In the police report, he also claimed the RM2.6 billion he received was merely a donation from the Saudi royal family.

In the last few days, police raids have been carried out at the Prime Minister’s Office in Perdana Putra, as well as private properties linked to the Pekan MP, including the Taman Duta mansion where he and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor are currently living, and two luxury condominium units at Block A and B of the Pavillion Residences in Kuala Lumpur.

Najib is being investigated under Section 4(1) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act (AMLATFA) 2001.

For an offence under Section 4(1) of the AMLATFA, those convicted can be jailed up to 15 years and fined not less than five times the sum or value of the proceeds of an unlawful activity or instrumentalities at the time the offence was committed or RM5 million, whichever is higher.

Najib and Rosmah have been blacklisted from leaving the country by the Immigration Department, but are free to travel anywhere domestically.

Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad reopened investigations into the multi-billion dollar 1MDB scandal after returning to the office he vacated 15 years ago after winning the May 9 general election. But he said any action taken will be by the book.