KUALA LUMPUR (April 20): Public Accounts Committee (PAC) member Tony Pua questioned if the committee's chairman Datuk Hasan Arifin had doubted Bank Negara Malaysia's findings on 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).

PAC members had earlier alleged that Hasan deleted a key portion from the PAC report on 1MDB. The deleted portion indicated that "Bank Negara Malaysia was informed voluntarily by relevant authorities of the country that Good Star Ltd was a company owned by an individual unrelated to the PetroSaudi Group".

News reports quoted Hasan as responding in a statement that the deletion would not affect the report. Hasan said "entering a statement which is unclear or being investigated is something prejudicial and all PAC members should convince the authorities to conduct further investigations before making a statement".

Today, Pua, who is also Petaling Jaya Utara MP, claimed in a statement the PAC did not empower Hasan to delete the portion of the report.

Pua claimed PAC members had at the committee's final meeting approved the report's final draft, which included the information on Bank Negara's findings.

"Is Datuk Hasan Arifin questioning the veracity of the Bank Negara findings that the ultimate beneficiary of Good Star Ltd is an individual unrelated to Petrosaudi International Ltd?

"If he is questioning the findings of Bank Negara, then why did he persistently, as recorded in the Hansard on at least five occasions, refused our request to call Bank Negara to testify to the PAC? Is there something that Datuk Hasan Ali is aware of, which he doesn't want PAC members to find out?" Pua asked.