malaysiakini logo
story-image
mk-logo
News
PAC chief told to quit if he dare not summon Jho Low
Published:  Feb 13, 2016 10:20 AM
Updated: 3:50 AM
ADS

Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chief Hasan Arifin has been urged to either summon flamboyant tycoon Low Taek Jho before the joint parliamentary group investigating the 1MDB scandal, or to resign if he does not dare do so.

“Hasan should resign as PAC chairperson if he dare not summon Low to appear before the PAC investigations into 1MDB,” said DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang in a statement today.

Lim described Hasan’s decision against an earlier agreement to summon Low as one of the PAC’s “greatest sins”.

The public, said Lim, were still waiting for a reasonable explanation from Hasan on why he rescinded the decision of his predecessor former PAC chief Nur Jazlan Mohamed who announced that Low would be summoned to appear before the PAC to testify on the 1MDB scandal.

“The whole world seems to know that Malaysia's ‘wonder-boy’ tycoon, billionaire Low, is the main ‘mover and shaker’ of (Prime Minister) Najib (Abdul Razak’s) 1MDB misadventure, except the government authorities, including the ‘cari makan’ PAC chairperson Hasan.

“Is this the reason why Hasan is not summoning Low to appear before the PAC investigations into 1MDB?” asked Lim.

In PAC’s first meeting after five of its members were appointed to the cabinet, the newly appointed PAC chief Hasan said questioning Low was not a priority .

This went against the committee’s – then led by Nur Jazlan - earlier decision to summon the young tycoon with regard to his role when he was adviser to 1MDB's predecessor, Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA).

The PAC was roped in to look into the debt-ridden sovereign fund after it was reported that it had accumulated massive debts and had been struggling to meet its commitments, with billions in assets, investments, cash and 'units' unaccounted for.

The company, however, has consistently denied both wrongdoing and mismanagement, claiming that it was not in financial trouble but has since embarked on a 'rationalisation' of its assets and liabilities.

The auditor-general will present the audit report on 1MDB on Feb 24 and 25, while PAC will table its report on the investigations to Parliament in the next Dewan Rakyat session.

View Comments