MOTION TO REOPEN 1MDB PROBE PASSED; ANTIFAKE NEWS ACT REPEALED

Reopening the probe could provide closure, says finance minister

THE Dewan Rakyat passed unanimously a motion to reopen an investigation into the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal.

The lower house of Parliament gave the green light for the findings of the probe to be made public.

Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng tabled the motion, which called upon the Auditor General’s Department and the Dewan Rakyat’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to reopen a probe into the 1MDB case.

Lim said the probe could provide closure on the issue.

He said the probe was needed as the scandal had not been thoroughly investigated and no action was taken by the previous Barisan Nasional government to resolve the issue.

“The reinvestigation is aimed at restoring the dignity of the house and the country’s institutions, which failed to conduct a fair, competent, credible and independent investigation.

“Previous investigations failed to identify the cause of the corruption scandal and huge losses suffered by Malaysia and, in particular, 1MDB.”

Datuk Seri Hasan Arifin (BN-Rompin), in his debate, argued that government agencies such as Bank Negara Malaysia could not determine if Good Star Ltd’s owner was the fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho.

The company allegedly received US$1.03 (RM4.21) billion from 1MDB.

The former PAC chairman said a letter from BNM to the parliamentary select committee stated that the information was sensitive and, as such, could not be revealed.

Hasan said he was prepared to be hauled up by the Dewan Rakyat’s Selection Committee on the finance minister’s allegation, linking him to the act of concealing information in the PAC report.

“I ordered the information on the owner of Good Star to be withdrawn in the report as BNM had provided an information categorised as intelligence information and, as such, cannot be disclosed to the public.

“I received information on it from BNM on April 6, a day before the PAC report was printed for public disclosure.

“I had informed PAC members through a letter on the matter (withdrawal of information).” However, Tony Pua (PHDamansara), in his debate on the motion, alleged that other members of the then PAC were not privy to the identity information revocation.

“The revocation of the information from the PAC report was made without informing PAC members. Why were we not informed ?

“Why did we find out about it only after the information was printed in the report on April 7 (2016)?

“Yang Berhormat Rompin is trying to confuse the Dewan Rakyat.”

Hasan retorted that Pua’s allegations could be referred to the Selection Committee on whether his statement was true or whether he was seeking to confuse the Dewan Rakyat.

Stressing that he never missed PAC meetings for two terms, Pua said Hasan’s attitude on the matter made him lose heart.

Fahmi Fadzil (PH-Lembah Pantai) and Lim Kit Siang (PH-Iskandar Puteri) backed the motion to reopen the 1MDB probe.

Tan Sri Annuar Musa (BNKetereh) also supported the motion. The Umno secretary-general said as parliamentarians, they only wanted to seek the truth, and not hide or protect anything.

“To do so would be going against our oaths as member of parliaments.

“Ultimately, PAC is responsible to the Dewan Rakyat and its findings must be discussed by the MPs in a proper manner,” he said.

Pas also supported the motion. Ahmad Marzuk Shaary (Pas Pengkalan Chepa) said the party welcomed the motion as it was a matter of public interest.

Earlier, Wong Kah Woh (PHIpoh Timur) had proposed that the Dewan Rakyat speaker use his power to suspend Standing Order 85, which prevented PAC proceedings from being made public prior to the publication of its report.

However, Speaker Datuk Mohd Ariff Md Yusof suggested that the new PAC convene its meeting and decide to bring the matter to the lower house of Parliament.