DUN PENANG | Penang Tourism state executive councillor Yeoh Soon Hin has been urged to propose to the federal government to "loan" the embattled super-yacht, Equanimity, to the state .
PKR Bukit Tengah assemblyperson Gooi Hsiao Leung said that the yacht should be parked at the Weld Quay, and that citizens should be charged a fee to see the Equanimity.
"The fees collected should be then donated to Tabung Harapan," Gooi said during his speech at the Penang legislative assembly today.
He was referring to the super-yacht worth RM1 billion, which reached Malaysian shores at 12.25pm yesterday, and is currently docked at Port Klang.
Gooi recalled that when he was the Alor Setar MP, he had filed an urgent motion on March 2 in Parliament to debate why the government refused to make a claim for the vessel after it was seized by Indonesian authorities on Feb 28.
The yacht was allegedly purchased with money "stolen" from the 1MDB fund, according to the United States Department of Justice, that is conducting a massive probe on money-laundering activities related to the state investment fund.
"It was shot down by the speaker at the time. Remember what the then Attorney-General (Mohamad Apandi Ali) had said? He refused to take action, and said the yacht does not belong to Malaysia!"
Gooi's speech was interrupted by Norhafizah Othman (BN-Permatang Berangan), who said the matter should be best left to the courts to decide.
Gooi assured her that with the new government, and with new people at the helm of the judiciary and AG's chambers, the rule of law will be observed and justice will be served.
"I assure you there will be no intervention by certain quarters," Gooi said.
Speaker Law Choo Kiang told Gooi to focus on issues in Penang, and not on federal matters, which should be directed to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Daniel Gooi (DAP-Pengkalan Kota) agreed with his Pakatan Harapan colleague (Gooi Hsiao Leung) that the yacht should be loaned to Penang: "So that Penangites can witness the biggest scandal in the history of Malaysia."
State Opposition leader Mohamad Yusoff Nor (BN-Sungai Dua) expressed his agreement with the speaker, saying the Bukit Tengah assemblyperson should raise local issues in Penang instead of harping on the Equanimity.
"There are many issues in Penang, why talk about the yacht? We don't even know who it belongs to," Yusoff added.
To this, Gooi replied that Yusoff may be the only person in Malaysia who is not aware of who the Equanimity belongs to.
"Corruption is an important issue in the country, that is why many supported the call for change," Gooi said.
To which, Yusoff interjected: "There are also corruption cases in Penang and they must be probed".
He had more to say but Gooi said: "I have the floor, I may give you a chance later".
The yacht's registered owner, Equanimity (Cayman) Ltd, had challenged Indonesia for seizing the vessel, which was requested by its US counterpart.
Businessperson Low Taek Jho, popularly known as Jho Low, has criticised the seizure of the yacht, and on Aug 7, his lawyers described the move to bring the vessel to Malaysia as "illegitimate". -Mkini
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