'Ex-Ministers acted in public interest'

Kota Kinabalu: Pertubuhan Angkatan Bersatu Pewaris Sabah (Pewarsa) wants the police to be fair and just when touching on certain issues especially involving sensitivity of the people such as the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal. Its President Dr Mohd Saifullah Hisham in a statement said as an entity of a coalition of native non-governmental organisation youths in Sabah, Pewarsa viewed it as only right for such issues to be addressed fairly.

He said the NGO felt issues raised regarding some former ministers regarding problems experienced by 1MDB was not against any law or Official Secrets Act (OSA) because they represent the people's voice in the Dewan Rakyat and that each Dewan Rakyat member is actually protected from any Act when debating a motion in question at the Dewan Rakyat.

"Where is the parliamentary democracy and freedom of expression for the people's representatives to voice out issues that involves the people's interest?

"How can the 1MDB issue be associated with OSA? What about the United States Department of Justice which also raised the 1MDB issue? Will Malaysia also convict the Department of Justice's Attorney General under OSA for filing a lawsuit in the United States last July?," he asked.

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He said in a report presented to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) last April, the PAC opined that there were constraints and weaknesses by the 1MDB management causing the company to incur billions in debt that caused assets to be sold and establish rationalisation plan by the government for the sake of saving the company.

"In addition, the PAC has asked for further action by police and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission on the 1MDB management but until now why isn't there any investigation papers or those called in for questioning?"

Pewarsa also urge the Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat to review Acts on the people's representatives before issuing a statement to ensure the good name of the Dewan Rakyat is upheld.

"The Official Secrecy Act is to protect the sovereignty and integrity of the country's administration and not to protect perpetrators such as in the 1MDB case which has profound impact on the economy and people's perception towards Malaysia," he said.

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He also questioned how a Dewan Rakyat Speaker can know that the information debated by a former Member of Parliament comes under the Official Secrecy Act when he, himself, is not a Cabinet member.

He was referring to a report that former Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, former Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal and former Second Finance Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah would be questioned by police for disclosing confidential information on 1MDB.

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