Malaysia's PM Najib Razak slammed for failing to face critics on scandal (Video)

Malaysia's PM Najib slammed for failing to face critics on scandal

PUBLISHED ON JUN 5, 2015 3:21 PM

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Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak delivers an opening speech for the round table meeting of the World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) Foundation and Alliance Forum Foundation (AFF) in Tokyo on May 26, 2015. -- PHOTO: AFP

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - Malaysia's embattled prime minister provoked fierce criticism on Friday by not attending an event at which he was to defend himself over an escalating scandal threatening to engulf his administration.

Prime Minister Najib Razak had been expected to use the public forum to hit back at critics of a state-owned development company he launched that is reeling under billions of dollars of debt and accusations of fraud.

But after 89-year-old former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad - the chief voice pushing for Najib's ouster over the affair - showed up to speak at the event, police ordered it shut down, citing unspecified "public order and national harmony" concerns.

Political opponents and Malaysia's active social-media scene accused Najib of engineering the cancellation to avoid facing his main accuser in public

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