Arul Kanda: 1MDB roadshows a success
KUALA LUMPUR: The series of roadshows on 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) has achieved its objective, with more and more people understanding and accepting the issue.
1MDB chief executive officer Arul Kanda Kandasamy said the open approach and presentation of facts without emotional influence made the series a success.
“Malaysians want explanations and information based on facts, not speculation influenced by emotions. Even though it is hard for me (to control my emotions), I explain things the best I can.
“I, too, feel geram (irritated) sometimes because I am only human. But it is clear that, following this series of informational roadshows, people are happier.
“So, our objective has been realised,” he said at the latest roadshow in Taman Lucky Garden in Bangsar, here, on Monday.
Arul Kanda said 30 roadshows had been carried out in the peninsula, adding that he received positive feedback.
“In the past six to eight weeks, I have been to every state in the peninsula. At the beginning of each session, tensions were a little high... there were many ‘hot’ questions. There were some who were not satisfied at first, but, in the end, everything turned out for the better.
“In fact, they (attendees) would applaud at the end. There were some who came up to me to exchange phone numbers.”
On the audit of 1MDB’s accounts, Arul Kanda said no timeframe had been set.
Audit firm Parker Randall, newly appointed by 1MDB, has been given access by police to several original documents that were seized earlier, including ledgers and payment vouchers.
Arul Kanda said auditors were doing their work, adding that this was not a normal audit.
“That is why they have not been able to give us a timeframe for the completion of the audit. However, we have asked them to complete the process as soon as possible.”
In the session earlier, there was a tense moment when attendees argued among themselves over what language Arul Kanda should use to address them.
He had been speaking in English when some people claimed that they could not understand him. Some asked for the session to be conducted in Bahasa Melayu, while others asked for Tamil.
Arul Kanda, however, calmed things down and continued his presentation and the questionand-answer session in English.