Friday 29 Mar 2024
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(June 2): The Cabinet should emulate former Terengganu menteri besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Said who stood his ground to safeguard the state's oil and gas future revenue, an opposition lawmaker said, urging members to make a stand on troubled 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

PAS's Kuala Terengganu MP Datuk Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah Raja Ahmad said members of the Cabinet should have the "guts and conscience" to make a stand on the debt-laden state investment vehicle when demanded to by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

"I may not agree on some of Ahmad's policies when he was Terengganu's menteri besar, however I give him credit for standing up against Najib's proposal to collatorise Terengganu's oil and gas future income for TIA,  which was 1MDB's former identity," he said, referring to the acronym for 1MDB's predecessor Terengganu Investment Authority.

"He had the guts to stand his ground and resist. Ahmad's stand protected Terengganu's state future income. However, the Cabinet ministers’ stand would protect the much larger interest of Malaysia's future.

"I urge the Cabinet ministers to emulate Ahmad's principled stand in stating his view openly on matters affecting the rakyat’s future," he said in a WhatsApp message to The Malaysian Insider.

Earlier last month, Ahmad told the Terengganu state assembly that 1MDB had attempted to use Terengganu’s oil and gas as collateral, but that the decision was later withdrawn.

He said the attempt was made when 1MDB was linked to TIA, and that Najib was unhappy with his decision.

This was subsequently denied by his successor, Datuk Seri Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman.

TIA was set up on February 27, 2009 and according to a Companies Commission of Malaysia statement, its name was changed to 1MDB on September 25 the same year.

Raja Kamarul said the Cabinet should take responsibility for the current goings-on in 1MDB instead of being concerned with self-preservation.

"There are very few men who honour their election promises to the rakyat to protect their interests.

"There are even fewer ‘men of honour’ around today. If there are any in the Cabinet, let us see them stand up for protecting the rakyat's interests.

"TIA's potential bigger disaster was averted by a single person in the form of a former menteri besar who stood up against Najib. We’d like to see a few Cabinet ministers collectively do the same to save 1MDB and Malaysia.

"Remember your own slogan: 'Rakyat di dahulukan'," said the first-term MP, referring to Najib's much vaulted 1Malaysia “People First” slogan.

Criticism has been mounting over the Finance Ministry wholly-owned investment vehicle, established in 2009, which has chalked up debts of up to RM42 billion.

Scrutiny has grown more intense following whistleblower site Sarawak Report's recent exposes, which piled pressure on Najib and prompted opposition politicians, former and current Umno leaders including long-serving former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, and anti-graft bodies to demand a thorough investigation into the fund.

The auditor-general is currently looking through 1MDB's books, with a preliminary report expected to be submitted to the Parliament in June, while Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) started its investigation into the company two weeks ago. – The Malaysian Insider

 

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