Friday 29 Mar 2024
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KUALA LUMPUR (March 13): The DAP’s Tony Pua has urged the Cabinet to insist for a live telecast of the proposed debate between former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz.

In a statement today, Pua, who is DAP national publicity secretary and MP for Petaling Jaya Utara, said that in relation to the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) debacle, the next best thing Malaysians could hope for to gain the truth is via a debate.

“And one between the former premier and one of the harshest critic of the (Prime Minister Datuk Seri) Najib Razak administration, versus one of the most senior Minister’s in Najib’s cabinet could not have come at a better time.

“In fact, if the Government has nothing to hide, we call upon the Cabinet to insist that the debate be broadcast live on RTM or TV3, for there could not be a better opportunity for the Najib administration to destroy the opposition’s allegations on 1MDB and clear its tainted reputation,” he said.

Pua said the 1MDB debate has everything to do with the Government, and in particular the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak. 

“The latter, who is also Finance Minister I, has been found to have received US$731 million which had originated from 1MDB based on the documents and evidence produced by the United States Department of Justice (US DOJ).  The 1MDB scandal has made Malaysia the kleptocratic capital of the world and put Malaysians to shame.

“In fact, it is shocking that to date, since the US DOJ filed the suit to seize assets acquired with money laundered from 1MDB in July 2016, Datuk Seri Najib Razak has not once denied the allegations that he has received the US$731 million misappropriated from 1MDB,” he said.

Pua added that Finance Minister II, Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani tried to argue that the matter had purportedly already been “debated extensively in Parliament”.

He said Johari had told the reporters that “the report that (was) prepared by the auditor general, (the) public accounts committee (PAC), have been deliberated extensively in Parliament, all questions have been answered in Parliament.”

“However, the Finance Minister II failed to also clarify that the Parliament Speaker has forbidden any answers on questions relating to the 1MDB US DOJ suit, preposterously claiming “subjudice”. 

“At the same time, the then newly appointed PAC Chairman, Dato’ Hasan Arifin took pains to unilaterally make amendments to the PAC Report and refused any attempts during the meetings to investigate links between the scandal and the Prime Minister.  Worse, if all questions on 1MDB has allegedly been answered, then why is the Cabinet hiding the Auditor-General’s Report under the Official Secrets Act (OSA)?

“Even the Finance Minister II himself failed to answer questions raised in Parliament on the scandal during the last sitting,” he stressed.

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