GAMBIR: Despite a Wednesday (March 9) deadline to clarify a "misleading" statement in Parliament, former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak says he will issue a clarification only after the Johor state election concludes on March 12.

       Najib said he will answer to Speaker Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun's letter, but he could not meet the March 9 deadline as he is currently campaigning in Johor.

       "I will answer him. I can't do it tomorrow (March 9) because I'm in Johor. After the election, I will reply," said Najib when met by reporters during a walkabout here on Tuesday (March 8) afternoon.

       When debating the motion of thanks on the Royal Address in Dewan Rakyat last week, Najib claimed that the previous and current administration had yet to repay 1Malaysia Development Bhd's debts amounting to some RM32bil.

       The following day, Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz told the House that Najib's allegation that the government had yet to pay "a single sen" of 1MDB's principal debt was baseless.

       Tengku Zafrul said the government had paid RM6.5bil in interest on the 1MDB debts.

       Commenting further on his remarks, Najib maintained that no public funds were used to repay the principal amount of 1MDB debts.

       He said this was because entities such as Goldman Sachs and Ambank had returned 1MDB funds totalling RM23bil to Malaysia.

       "Is Goldman Sachs' money considered public funds? It's nonsense," he added.

       During Najib's explanation last week, former prime minister and Pagoh MP Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin accused Najib of misleading the House with such claims.

       On Monday (March 7), Azhar said he had written to Najib requesting him to explain the matter in Dewan Rakyat by this Wednesday (March 9).