Loke: Is Arul chickening out?

The Seremban MP rejects Arul Kanda's reason for backing out of the debate on 1MDB.

KUALA LUMPUR: Seremban MP Anthony Loke today censured 1MDB chief Arul Kanda Kandasamy for backing out of a debate on the state investment arm.

Speaking to reporters at the parliament lobby, Loke implied that Arul had exhibited cowardly behaviour when he said he was withdrawing from the much-awaited debate following an opposition announcement that Rafizi Ramli would replace Tony Pua in the confrontation.

“If he’s trying to chicken out, then just say so,” Loke said.

He rejected the reason Arul gave, which was that he was abiding by the Dewan Rakyat Speaker’s ruling on the matter.

“He’s just trying to find a way to avoid the debate,” Loke said, noting that the Speaker had stated that he had no jurisdiction over Arul.

The opposition decided on the replacement because the Speaker said he would not agree to Pua being in the debate since he was a member of the Public Accounts Committee, which is investigating 1MDB.

Arul also said he had agreed on the debate with Pua because it was a personal matter between the two of them. He said he would not be drawn into the “political games” that the opposition was allegedly playing.