A senior opposition leader today slammed both the 1Malaysia Development Berhad’s (1MDB) top executive and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak for the former’s no-show at the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) hearing.

Highlighting that 1MDB ought to prioritise PAC’s hearing over other matters, DAP Parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang criticised 1MDB chief Arul Kanda Kandasamy and ex-CEO Shahrol Halmi for playing truant at the PAC hearing which was scheduled more than two weeks before.

“If the PAC hearing scheduled today clashes with their important overseas appointments, why wasn’t the PAC informed immediately after they received the PAC requisition on May 6?”

“PAC was only informed via a letter from the Finance Ministry on May 22 that the duo could not attend,” said Lim in a statement today.

Lim also asked if Prime Minister Najib gave the “green light” for the duo playing truant at the PAC hearing.

“Did Najib or the relevant Finance Ministry authority (give identity) ask the duo to reschedule their overseas appointment as their appearance before the PAC is more important so as to put to rest all doubts and queries about the 1MDB scandal as the biggest financial scandal in the country, and if not, why?”

“Did Najib, if not who, approve their “ponteng” today?” Lim asked.

He said that Najib and the 1MDB board should welcome the PAC scheduled hearing in the event that 1MDB was innocent of the allegations of financial leakages and debts. It would have put to rest al, questions  of integrity, transparency and good corporate governance, which Lim says had been “haunting the governments strategic development company” in the last five years.

Lim said that the 1MDB’s testimony is particularly pertinent in the light of brickbats from former Prime Minister Mahathir Muhammad and even Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin aimed at the sovereign wealth fund.

Lim was referring to the attacks on 1MDB by Mahathir’s campaign to demand for answers regarding the “missing RM 27 billion” and also Muhyiddin’s labeling 1MDB has the cause for the downfall of the ruling UMNO/BN party.

“With such a background, 1MDB should be chasing the  PAC for an early hearing to prove that it is the very model of corporate good governance instead of playing truant from a scheduled PAC hearing which it had notice of more than a fortnight,” Lim added.

Lim urged Najib and second Finance Minister Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah to explain why the Arul and Shahrol were absent at the hearing today.

Pic from Malay Mail Online

Another DAP leader, Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng (pic) said that PAC should act against the Arul and Shahrol for being in contempt of Parliament, under which, PAC committee members are elected.

“PAC should use the provisions under the  Houses of Parliament Act (Privileges and Powers) 1952 and fine both individuals RM 1000 per day (until they appear for the hearing) or arrest them,” he said.

Lip Eng also questioned if Arul and Shahrol were “protected by the Prime Minister”.

“Is that why they are so brave, and have not been investigated by the police nor the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC)?” he asked.

-The Rocket