Answer WSJ allegations, stop offering denials, Tony Pua tells 1MDB

DAP lawmaker Tony Pua says it is his job to question entities using taxpayers’ funds in response to 1MDB’s refusal to answer allegations that repayments of more than US$2 billion are missing. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, September 20, 2015. 

DAP lawmaker Tony Pua slammed 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) for refusing to address the latest allegations raised by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) against the embattled company, accusing the firm of trying to “obfuscate” matters.

Continuing the war of words against the state investment vehicle, which had pointedly told the Petaling Jaya Utara MP to fix his own scandals, Pua said his role as an elected representative was to scrutinise entities using taxpayers’ monies.

Instead, he said, 1MDB still remained mum over the whereabouts of the US$1.4 billion refundable deposit despite issuing a statement yesterday in response to WSJ’s reports on missing monies.

“Unfortunately, the ‘denials’ were only attempts to obfuscate the issue but did not address the allegations made by WSJ,” he said in a statement today.

1MDB had issued a statement yesterday in response to Pua's statement earlier in the morning that the company must issue a joint statement with the International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) to refute all doubts and suspicions that billions of the state investor’s funds have gone unaccounted for.

He said this after WSJ reported yesterday that another US$993 million remained unaccounted for, 10 days after allegations surfaced that a US$1.4 billion (RM5.9 billion) payment was made by 1MDB to IPIC in 2012.

Dissatisfied with 1MDB's statement, Pua said these further raised questions as to whether IPIC is refusing to corroborate 1MDB’s protests of innocence.

"I have asked that 1MDB issue a joint statement with IPIC to clarify the 'missing billions' and put the allegations by the WSJ to rest once and for all. However, 1MDB ignored the request altogether.

“Instead of answering the above scandalous questions pertaining to the billions of ringgit of 'missing' funds entrusted with 1MDB, the company executives are acting with impunity by telling an elected MP to effectively go mind his own business," he said.

He said it is his role and responsibility as an MP to scrutinise entities responsible for the tax-payers’ monies. It is also his sworn duty to demand accountability and transparency from the government.

"Hence I will fail my voters and ordinary Malaysians at large if I did not highlight the exposes and allegations made by the WSJ or any other media which are back by facts and figures."

He added the role of 1MDB executives are to ensure the accounts of the Finance Ministry-owned firm is "squeaky clean" and that they comply with the strictest standards of good corporate governance.

"It is their primary responsibility to ensure maximum protection for the tax-payers’ funds which have been entrusted with them.

“It is not the role of 1MDB or its executives to question my role as an MP or to tell me how to do my job."

- TMI