ZERO, ZILCH, NOTHING LEFT: NAJIB TO SELL OFF LAST OF 1MDB ASSETS IN COMING MONTHS

The last of 1MDB’s assets is expected to be transferred out in the coming months, as part of a plan to wind up the scandal-plagued Finance Ministry-owned company.

According to Singapore’s Straits Times, the remaining assets are Tun Razak Exchange (TRX), Bandar Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur and a 94.7-hectare plot of land in Ayer Itam, Penang.

The report said the assets will be transferred to two Finance Ministry-owned companies, Aroma Teraju Sdn Bhd and Piramid Pertama Sdn Bhd.

In November 2015, the cash-strapped 1MDB announced the sale of its energy arm Edra Global Energy Berhad to China General Nuclear Power Corporation for RM9.83 billion.

A month later, 1MDB announced the sale of a 60 percent equity in Bandar Malaysia to a consortium comprising Johor-based Iskandar Waterfront Holdings Bhd and China Railway Engineering Corporation for RM7.41 billion.

1MDB had also sold plots of land within TRX to Indonesia’s Mulia Group, Australia’s Lend Lease as well as local government institutions such as pilgrimage fund Tabung Haji.

The move was part of 1MDB’s effort to pare down its debt, which at its peak amounted to around RM50 billion.

The winding up of 1MDB is being overseen by a panel dubbed the ‘Budiman committee’ led by Finance Minister II Johari Abdul Ghani.

Johari in an interview with Straits Times said the sale had helped 1MDB to settle some of its debts owed to Malaysian banks.

However, the report said the bigger challenge will be settling the remaining debt, which will be handled separately by the government.

Billions in bonds owing

Among 1MDB’s liabilities that the government will need to take care of are a RM5 billion sukuk bond due in 2039, a RM2.4 billion sukuk bond for Bandar Malaysia and a RM800 million loan from the Social Security Organisation (Socso) due in 2022.

There is also a US$3 billion international bond due in 2023 and another US$6.48 billion in dispute with Abu Dhabi’s International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) and its subsidiary Aabar Investments PJS.

“To win approval for the plan, the government must guarantee 1MDB’s creditors and holders of billions of dollars in bonds that it will honour all obligations of the state-owned entity upon its liquidation as a company,” said the report quoting government officials and bankers.

– M’kini