1MDB duo will testify, says Najib
Published on: Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Kuala Lumpur: Datuk Seri Najib Razak gave his assurance on Tuesday that the top officials of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) will testify in the Public Accounts Committee's (PAC) investigation on the troubled investment firm. The Prime Minister, who is currently on a working visit to Japan, said, however that 1MDB's officials "have something to sort out first". "1MDB officials will appear before PAC, will not run away. The 1MDB officials have something to sort out first," he reportedly said, according to national news agency Bernama.
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It is believed the Prime Minister is responding to questions raised over the failure of 1MDB Chief Executive Arul Kanda Kandasamy and former CEO Shahrol Ibrahim Halmi to attend Tuesday's PAC hearing in Parliament. On Monday, it was confirmed that Arul Kanda and Shahrol would not be able to attend Tuesday's scheduled hearing on the debt-laden 1MDB due to prior commitments abroad. In a statement to explain the matter, Arul Kanda said both he and Shahrol will meet with the parliamentary panel at a later date. "Both, Arul Kanda and Datuk Shahrol Halmi, look forward to appearing before the committee and having the opportunity to clarify 1MDB's position," he said.
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"As confirmed by the chairman of the PAC earlier today, the date for this appearance is currently being finalised, due to a date proposed earlier being in conflict with previously scheduled overseas commitments," the 1MDB president and group executive director added. 1MDB has become a major sticking point for Najib, who has come under intense pressure over the past few months over allegations of mismanagement of the state-owned fund that led to it racking up some RM42 billion in debt from the time it was incorporated in 2009.
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Last week, second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah said 1MDB's US$1.103 billion (RM3.9 billion) redeemed from a Cayman Islands account and parked in Singapore's BSI Bank was in the form of assets and not cash, as previously claimed by Arul Kanda. Apart from the PAC, the Auditor-General is also conducting a probe on 1MDB and is expected to deliver a report to Putrajaya early next month. Meanwhile, Sabah State Assembly Speaker Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak says the Cabinet has always been on top of the 1MDB issue and Ministers are constantly briefed."To say that the Cabinet was in the dark regarding 1MDB is not true. But this is the impression being created. And to say that the Cabinet was powerless and could not do anything about 1MDB is also not true," Salleh, who was also the former Sabah Chief Minister, said.In his latest blog posting, Salleh Said wrote it was also wrong to declare the Cabinet powerless and unable to do anything about the government investment arm."The impression given is that 1MDB has lost RM42 billion, money that has disappeared into thin air. If that is what happened the Cabinet would have been in an uproar with some members probably even resigning or else they too, would have to share the blame."Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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Salleh was responding to Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah's refusal to comment on 1MDB "as all the facts are not in yet".Tengku Razaleigh had also on Monday said the Cabinet had to take collective responsibility for 1MDB whether they did or did not know what was going on.