‘All parties to cooperate’

Zahid: Govt views DOJ lawsuits regarding 1MDB seriously

KUALA LUMPUR: The Government views seriously the filing of civil forfeiture lawsuits by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) with regard to 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

The Deputy Prime Minister said Malaysia welcomed the efforts by the DOJ in battling international corruption and urged all parties involved to cooperate fully so that the appropriate legal process could take its due course.

Dr Ahmad Zahid said Malaysia, being a responsible member of the United Nations and the global community, respects the legal processes of different jurisdictions and remains fully committed in upholding the rule of law.

“As stated by the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak), this is in line with our commitment to promote good governance, especially from the standpoint of transparency and accountability.

“In my capacity as the Home Minister, I can confirm that investigations are still ongoing domestically by the relevant authorities, especially the police,” he said.

On Wednedsday, the DOJ filed civil suits to recover assets derived from alleged misappropriation of 1MDB funds.

Dr Ahmad Zahid stressed that any Malaysian individual or corporation found guilty in engaging in unlawful activities anywhere in the world would face the full brunt of the law.

He said the Malaysian Government stands firmly commited to resolve the issue fully and priority would be given to uphold justice, so that the public’s interest was fully protected.

“More importantly, we must not allow ourselves to be distracted by these lawsuits.

“Malaysians must remain united and focused in facing the challenges which confront our nation both at home and abroad,” he said while expressing his confidence that there would be closure on the 1MDB debacle soon.