Four skip PAC meeting to protest 1MDB issue not reopened

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Four Public Accounts Committee (PAC) opposition members were absent in today's meeting in protest against chairperson Hasan Arifin's decision not to reinvestigate 1MDB.

They were PKR Selayang MP William Leong, PKR Telok Kemang MP Kamarul Baharin Abbas, PAS Kota Bharu MP Takiyuddin Hassan, and DAP Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua.

However Another PAC opposition member, DAP Kepong MP Tan Seng Giaw, who is also PAC deputy chairperson, attended the meeting.

The meeting commenced at 10.30am and ended around 12pm.

It is understood the meeting agenda was on three PAC reports for the coming Parliament session, but did not touch on 1MDB.

Leong confirmed that his absence was to show his frustration over PAC's inaction on the "massive fraud" linked with 1MDB.

"Yes. I think all of us share the same feeling," he said when contacted, referring to the others who did not attend the meeting.

While PAC has not been able to declassify the attorney-general's report on 1MDB, he pointed out that the US Department of Justice's forfeiture filing showed the urgency of probing the case again.

"Despite this, the majority in PAC does not want to reinvestigate. I think in this situation, there is a lack of credibility for us to sit and investigate other cases," he said, adding that he will skip the meeting tomorrow

"We will write in again to the chairman and other members to ask them to review the decision not to investigate 1MDB,” he said.

Tan, who was in the meeting, revealed that it was chaired by Hasan Arifin, and discussed three reports to be submitted to Parliament in October.

Yesterday, Pua walked out after PAC chief rejected a proposal to reopen the probe on 1MDB.

In a statement later, Hasan said there was no need to reopen investigations because the existing PAC report was comprehensive, and had been endorsed by all PAC members, prior to being tabled in Parliament.- Mkini