‘Pandai-pandailah sikit’ Rafizi tells Hasan

Pandan MP says telling Tony Pua not to speak about 1MDB in public could be interpreted as Hasan Arifin wanting to keep the company’s scandals under wraps.

KUALA LUMPUR: PKR Secretary-General Rafizi Ramli today urged the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairman Hasan Arifin to “be smarter” about what he was doing lest it be interpreted by others that he was trying to cover up the wrongdoings at 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

Speaking at a press conference in Parliament today, Rafizi said that Hasan’s earlier statement advising Opposition MP Tony Pua from talking about 1MDB in public could be seen as an “attempt to cover up the entire saga.”

“The issue is not who is going to replace Tony Pua for the debate. That’s the easy part because no matter how good a debater you are, you cannot defend something that is indefensible,” he said.

“The real question is whether or not the debate will be used as an excuse by BN (Barisan Nasional) to shut Tony Pua or other parliamentarians up.”

Rafizi added that he was “surprised” by the Dewan Rakyat Speaker’s condition that Pua resign as a PAC member if the latter wanted to have a debate with 1MDB chief Arul Kanda Kandasamy.

“Even if there was a concern of PAC information being used, I think Tony Pua has shown good discipline over the past few years. There has never been an instance when PAC alleged that Tony has used PAC information for outside purposes,” Rafizi said.

Rafizi also reiterated that Hasan’s attempt to silence Pua was a “blatant” attempt to cover up the 1MDB issue.

“It is a blatant attempt and the public can see it. It looks like a way to stop MPs from speaking up.

“Pandai-pandailah sikit,” Rafizi advised Hasan.