It’s Najib, not me, who should resign over 1MDB conflict of interest, says Tony Pua

Datuk Seri Najib Razak signed off all major transactions carried out by 1MDB, which means he is directly implicated in the state investor’s scandals, says an opposition lawmaker. – The Malaysian Insider pic, October 30, 2015. 

If anyone should resign over conflict of interest over debt-ridden state investor 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), it should be the prime minister as he was directly implicated in the scandal, DAP said today.

The party’s publicity chief, Tony Pua, said Datuk Seri Najib Razak signed off all major transactions carried out by 1MDB.

“Under such circumstances, there is surely a major conflict of interest when Datuk Seri Najib Razak wielded direct influence on the investigation process,” Pua said in a statement today.

Pua’s remarks come after 1MDB president Arul Kanda Kandasamy accepted the former’s challenge to a live television debate but on condition that the DAP lawmaker resign first as a member of the Public Accounts Committee.

His call was supported by Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz, who also urged Pua to resign over conflict of interest.

But the Petaling Jaya Utara MP asked where the alleged conflict of interest arose, saying he was not a related party to 1MDB, which was under probe.

“On the other hand, if Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz’s argument that one must ‘resign’ to avoid a conflict of interest, then surely the person must be the prime minister himself, Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

“The prime minister, who is also the finance minister, is directly implicated in the 1MDB scandal.

“In particular, he personally signed off in writing all major transactions carried out by 1MDB.  

“Under such circumstances, there is surely a major conflict of interest when Najib continues to wield direct influence of the investigation process.”

He added that there were no laws or regulations preventing him as an MP from seeking answers in the PAC and outside the committee.

Pua said Arul Kanda should in fact be jumping at the opportunity to have a live debate with him to answer openly and truthfully about 1MDB.

Instead, Pua added, the president pretended to accept his challenge but attached a ridiculous condition that he resigned from PAC.

The federal lawmaker also said that this was not the first time Arul Kanda and Barisan Nasional ministers called for his resignation from the bipartisan committee.

“It appears to be their priority to ensure that the PAC will not benefit from the knowledge and understanding I have on the shenanigans in 1MDB. 

“Arul Kanda must believe that if I’m removed from PAC, the rest of the committee, particularly the eight BN representatives will be easy to dupe, resulting in a watered-down report on 1MDB.”

Pua said his role as a PAC member has never been challenged to this extent in the seven years as a member.

- TMI