Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has ordered the Auditor-General to vet the debt-laden 1Malaysia Development Bhd’s accounts, after the Cabient was briefed about the government-owned company’s accounts and told allegations against it were related to transactions by third parties such as PetroSaudi International.
The prime minister also said he told the Cabinet that he has instructed the Auditor General to independently verify 1MDB’s accounts. The Auditor General’s report will be passed for transparent inspection to the Public Accounts Committee, which is fully bipartisan and reflects Parliament’s composition.
The statement said Najib had called 1MDB and their auditors Deloitte before Cabinet, following recent media reports on 1MDB.
It said 1MDB provided a briefing on 1MDB’s current situation and responded to a series of questions posed by Cabinet Ministers, including the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
It said Deloitte provided an overview of their engagement with 1MDB and confirmed that the firm had audited and verified the company’s accounts.
When the 1MDB scandal became public knowledge the Prime Minister tried to deflect public criticism by ordering the Auditor General to make a full investigatin of 1MDB’s books and report.
Of course for Najib that was just a desperate attempt to stifle public outrage. But for the Auditor General it was the most important task ever confided to him and his staff.
So where is his report? He must have set aside all other work to make this enqury and his report. But, weeks later, what has happened? Has he submitted it to Najib and seen it buried? Or must he admit to inabilty to complete this task? And if the latter, for what reason?
He is a publc official holding a very important, indeed vital, office in the public service. As such, he must show total professional competence or admit incompetence and resign. No resignation news seems to have become public. So one can only conclude that Naib is suppressing the report because it convicts him.
We all know that in Malaysia, Parliamentary Questions of an awkward kind are always suppressed and never answered. But this is NOT a PQ. It is a demand from the electors whose money has been stolen to know who is responsible. Najib must answer and answer now.