PARLIAMENT | Dewan Rakyat speaker Azhar Azizan Harun apologised to parliamentarians today for granting Najib Abdul Razak (BN-Pekan) another week until next Tuesday to provide an explanation on 1MDB debts.
This came after Tony Pua (Pakatan Harapan-Damansara) and opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim (Harapan-Port Dickson) protested the speaker's decision to allow the extension on the ground that Najib was campaigning for BN candidates for the Johor election.
They felt that Azhar's decision was not in line with the status of the legislative branch.
"I take note and thanks for the reminder. On the benefit of hindsight, I did not take into consideration what was said by the MP before making the decision.
"I will consider the matter in the future. My apologies," said Azhar.
Earlier, Pua urged the Dewan Rakyat to suspend Najib from Parliament for refusing to provide an explanation on 1MDB debts to the Dewan Rakyat by March 9 as instructed by the speaker.
He said Najib went to Johor merely to campaign and he is not even a candidate in the state polls.
"Najib refuses to follow the instruction of the speaker. He said he would provide an explanation after the Johor state election. He is clearly in contempt of the speaker and Parliament. Action must be taken against him.
"Since the speaker said Najib can explain in written form, we hope the speaker will suspend him from Parliament until he gives an explanation," Pua added.
‘Beyond my control’
Azhar, however, noted that he has given a one-week extension for Najib to provide an explanation to the Dewan Rakyat.
"What he said outside (Dewan) is beyond my control," said the speaker.
Anwar also questioned Azhar’s decision, asking if Najib's political involvement supersedes Parliament.
"The explanation by the speaker is not in line with the position of Parliament," Anwar opined.
On March 3, Pua submitted a motion to refer Najib to the Parliamentary Committee of Privileges for misleading the House over his debate on 1MDB debts on March 2, where he claimed that not a single sen was used to repay the principal amount of 1MDB debts.
Najib also claimed that public funds were not used because various entities, including Goldman Sachs, audit firms KPMG and Deloitte, Ambank and the US Department of Justice had returned 1MDB funds totalling RM23 billion to Malaysia.
Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz had said that the country has yet to repay the principal amount of 1MDB debts but Putrajaya has been servicing the interest on those debts.- Mkini
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