(July 8): The four “Tan Sris” heading a special task force that is probing 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) need to be changed, say opposition lawmakers, calling instead for an independent Royal Commission of Inquiry so that the probe could be done transparently and without fear or favour.

The three lawmakers pointed out that the "Tan Sris" --  as heads of the Attorney-General's Chambers, police, anti-corruption authority and Bank Negara -- are subordinate officers to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, making it hard for the public to trust the investigation into some US$700 million that was moved into Najib’s personal bank accounts.

The three are Hee Loy Sian of Petaling Jaya Selatan, Khalid Abdul Samad of Shah Alam and Lim Lip Eng of Segambut.

“What more when (the probe) is going on while Najib has not gone on leave as a prime minister and is still performing his government duties, including that of finance minister,” they said in a joint statement.

The Tan Sris they were referring to are Bank Negara Malaysia governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz, Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Abu Kassim Mohamed.

The three MPs also repeated the call by opposition leader Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail for Putrajaya to form an independent Royal Commission of Inquiry so that the probe could be done transparently and without fear or favour.

The task force has frozen six bank accounts and seized documents on 17 bank accounts over claims by The Wall Street Journal which last week reported the channelling of money into Najib's personal bank accounts.

Sources have told The Malaysian Insider that three of the bank accounts frozen belonged to Najib, while a fourth belonged to SRC International Sdn Bhd and another to Ihsan Perdana Sdn Bhd.

The three MPs said if the probe continued under the four individuals, the public would have difficulty accepting its findings, especially if it ended up absolving Najib of any wrongdoing.

“This is because the investigators are the friends and officers of Najib himself.

“We believe that in the name of transparency and independence and to preserve the good name of the Prime Minister, these four Tan Sris would not object to other individuals taking their place in the task force,” the law makers said. – The Malaysian Insider