Muhyiddin reminded he was part of cabinet that approved 1MDB

Suspended Umno deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin has been reminded that he ought to be well aware of 1MDB’s dealings as a former cabinet member, and therefore he should not be making allegations now.

Umno supreme council member Mohd Puad Zarkashi in a statement today rebutted the sacked deputy prime minister’s allegations regarding 1MDB, asking why Muhyiddin had been silent in the past.

He questioned Muhyiddin’s claim that the latter had always said the setting up of 1MDB was unnecessary.

“Muhyiddin may have forgotten that he was a member of the cabinet that had approved the setting up of 1MDB in 2009, and the government’s guarantee of the Islamic medium-term notes up to RM5 billion on April 1, 2009.

“Muhyiddin also forgets he was one of the parliamentarians who had approved 1MDB as an attractive investor in the Middle East, China and India, as was outlined in the 2010 budget speech on Oct 23, 2009,” Puad said.

“It is strange that suddenly, Muhyiddin has 17 claims about 1MDB when in the past, he had always claimed he didn’t know, was never briefed and he did not understand about 1MDB other than what he had read in The Edge and other excuses,” he added.

Puad asked if the points he raised were truly that of the Umno deputy, or penned by someone else seeing they resembled the questions raised by DAP parliamentarian Tony Pua.

He also repeated claims that DAP's public accounts committee (PAC) deputy chairperson Tan Seng Giaw said 1MDB's affairs could not be linked to Najib.

Tan has since clarified his statement saying he had not exonerated Najib, but merely stated that the PAC could not establish a direct link between 1MDB's issues and the prime minister because the relevant documents could not be procured.

'No collective responsibility'

On Wednesday, Muhyiddin issued a 17-point statement saying the PAC report does not vindicate Najib, but quite the opposite.

Attacking Muhyiddin's statement point by point, Puad among others, called Muhyiddin's claim that 1MDB had failed to pay its debts a "lie".

As to the party deputy's claim he had also called for the 1MDB board of directors to be sacked, but that they had since the release of the PAC report resigned as factually wrong.

They had only "offered to resign", Puad pointed out.

"Muhyiddin is lying, and deliberately confusing the rakyat by saying he is being punished by the prime minister for expressing concern over 1MDB in the cabinet.

"The real reason is he was dropped from cabinet after several times making allegations towards the prime minister outside of the cabinet before investigations were carried out.

"His actions do not adhere to 'collective responsibility' and that is the real reason why he was dropped as deputy prime minister," said Puad, adding that Muhyiddin is now similarly making statements outside the Umno supreme council.

"Muhyiddin's problem is he is increasingly fond of twisting the facts and making provocative statements, although he is forced to lie (to do so). But that's Muhyiddin these days," he added. -Mkini