1MDB: Denial like burying head in sand – Guan Eng
KUALA LUMPUR: The government will leave no stone unturned in the investigations into the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal in order to get justice for the people.
Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng said many people had revealed the embezzlement of the company's funds and the opposition should not deny it.
“If the opposition does not admit it, I feel they are not being responsible to the people of Malaysia, and they have not done their duty as Members of Parliament,” he said when replying to a supplementary question from Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee (BN-Beluran) in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday if trade misinvoicing had caused an illicit financial outflow in Malaysia.
Commenting further, Lim said this was just one of the factors, and other parties should not deny that other factors such as corrupt practices and the 1MDB scandal had led to the illicit financial outflow, causing the country to be in a dire fiscal state.
Lim also lambasted the opposition, saying they were like ostriches with their heads buried in the sand, when they refused to face with the reality of the scandal.
“The opposition cannot deny there is the 1MBD scandal,” he said, causing Datuk Shamsul Anuar Nasarah (BN-Lenggong) to interject, saying that Lim's comments had no factual basis.
To this, Lim said: “That is the problem with people who do not want to face reality. You are just like ostrich in the sand. See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.”
“Do not run from facts, what has happened is a huge scandal. Many revelations have been unearthed, but certain parties do not want to admit them. But it is alright, whether in court or in this Dewan, we will leave no stone unturned to get at the truth, we have to do it to get justice for the people of Malaysia.
Earlier, when replying to a supplementary question from Datin Paduka Dr Tan Yee Kew (PH-Wangsa Maju) on whether the government will set up a body to monitor the use of bitcoin, Lim said this was not necessary as Bank Negara was the authority responsible for this.
He added that Bank Negara was also studying in depth the mechanism for bitcoin and cryptocurrency.
He advised all parties who want to use these new mechanisms to refer to Bank Negara which will have the final say in the matter.
“I also want to advise those who want to introduce bitcoin to refer to Bank Negara,” he said, adding that even he as Finance Minister, referred to Bank Negara.
Replying to Tan's original question, Lim told the Dewan Rakyat that the recent findings of the Global Financial Integrity (GFI) report place Malaysia in 10th place among developing nations with a national illicit outflow of US$444.6 billion (RM1.8 trillion) for the period 2005 until 2014.
He said the main reason for this national illicit outflow was evasion of income tax evasion and customs tax and duties, smuggling of prohibited goods, illegal cash outflow and abuse of goods subsidies.