Puad: Is Guan Eng a minister or street fighter?

Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng cannot differentiate between being a street fighter and a minister, Umno Supreme Council member Mohd Puad Zakarshi said today.

Taking to Facebook, Puad claimed Lim was busying himself with various exposés in an attempt to turn the media into a court of public opinion on the financial management of the previous administration.

He also accused Lim of doing so to divert attention away from his own appointment amid an ongoing graft case.

"Starting from the national debt, he accused the BN government of paying nearly RM7 billion to ‘bail out' 1MDB. No mention about the manifesto of the Harapan government and its policies.

"He cannot differentiate between the behaviour of a street fighter and a minister. Is he so impatient for a revenge? Or has he been influenced by his special officer Tony Pua, who was also the former member of Public Accounts Committee that had exploited the 1MDB issue?

"That's why there is a disparaging (opinion) between him and his former colleague in PAC, Tan Seng Giaw," he claimed, referring to the long-time Kepong MP who was dropped from the DAP lineup ahead of the recent polls.

"It was very likely that Pua had offered such confusing facts and advice to Lim, who had used them in every press conference conducted in his capacity as finance minister," Puad said on Facebook.

‘What’s wrong with paying 1MDB’s debts?’

Puad, the former director-general of the now defunct Special Affairs Department, also defended the Finance Ministry’s repayment of 1MDB’s debts.

"PAC had suggested transferring (the ownership of) all valuable and strategic assets parked under 1MDB to MOF Inc.

“So, what's wrong with MOF repaying 1MDB's debt in return for taking over these assets? Including land worth RM30 billion according to current value," he added.

Had the ministry not taken over 1MDB’s assets, Puad said, the company would still be able to develop these assets and repay its own debts.

“This is not a bailout like Mahathir bailed out his son’s shipping company through Danaharta (Nasional Bhd). Everyone, including Guan Eng and his father (Lim Kit Siang) knows about that,” referring to Mirzan Mahathir’s Konsortium Perkapalan Bhd.

"What did the government get in return for bailing out the company owned by Mirzan Mahathir? Nothing.

“While in the case of 1MDB, MOF Inc took over the assets, but the debt and liability still remains with 1MDB.

"Everything was done according to the rule of law. But was the appointment of Lim done according to rule of law then?" he asked. - Mkini