KUALA LUMPUR: Khairy Jamaluddin revealed that he had advised Datuk Seri Najib Razak to take action against fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho.
He said that during the former prime minister's administration, he had met Najib at his office in Parliament and advised him to throw Low the fugitive businemass known as Jho Low "under the bus" following the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) controversies looming that time.
"I went to see him and said to him, 'Sir, you have to throw Jho Low under the bus if he is responsible.'
"That opened a possibility for him to take the action against something which he now claims he had been deceived in.
"And he looked at me and said, 'No, Jho Low is a legitimate businessman'," Khairy said in an episode of the Keluar Sekejap podcast.
The former health minister said cabinet members were told not to discuss 1MDB, and that matters related to the subject would be managed by Najib as he was the prime minister and finance minister.
He said at the same time, then-Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yasin and then-Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal were sacked from the cabinet.
"There were several ministers who constantly questioned and challenged Najib on this matter.
"If we are to accept at face value that he was deceived, then it comes back to what Tony Pua (former Damansara member of parliament) said: if this has already been exposed, why did not he take the necessary steps?
"Why fire the Deputy Prime Minister? Why fire ministers? Why fire the Attorney-General? Why fire the head of the MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission)? This is not consistent with someone who has been duped," Khairy said.
Najib, who is currently in prison had issued an apology last Thursday for all that transpired during the 1MDB financial scandal.
Despite his apology, the former Umno president had asserted his innocence, claiming he was deceived by Low and his associates.
Najib had said this in a statement read out by his eldest son Datuk Mohamad Nizar.
The apology came almost a week before he was ordered by High Court judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah to enter his defence for the 21 money laundering charges, saying the prosecution had proven a prima facie case on the 1MDB trial.