Any accusation of conflict of interest over the investigations into 1MDB should be directed at Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak instead of a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) member.

Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua said this in rubbishing Tourism and Culture Minister Nazri Abdul Aziz's remark that there would be a conflict of interest if Pua remained in the PAC if he intended to debate 1MDB president and chief executive Arul Kanda Kandasamy in public.

Nazri was supporting Arul Kanda's call for Pua to quit the committee that has been investigating the 1MDB scandal, after the MP challenged Arul Kanda to debate the matter on television.

Instead, said Pua, it was Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak who has a conflict of interest in the 1MDB investigations.

"The prime minister, who is also the finance minister, is directly implicated in the 1MDB scandal.

"In particular, he personally signed off in writing all major transactions carried out by 1MDB," Pua said in a statement today.

Therefore, he said, Nazri should instead be asking Najib to quit office, or at least go on leave to allow an independent investigation into 1MDB.

Ploy to fool BN

Pua also said Arul Kanda wants him out of the PAC so that the latter could fool BN members and hope for a watered-down report on the debt-ridden firm when the inquiry has been completed.

"Arul must believe that if I’m removed from the PAC, the rest of the committee, particularly the eight BN representatives, will be easy to dupe, resulting in a watered-down report against 1MDB," Pua said.

Arul Kanda accepted Pua’s challenge yesterday to appear on national television on the condition the DAP lawmaker quits the PAC .

Pua said this condition was ridiculous, and proved that Arul Kanda has much to hide on 1MDB.

“This is not the first time that Arul Kanda or BN ministers and leaders have called for my resignation from the PAC.

“It appears to be their priority to ensure that the PAC will not benefit from the knowledge and understanding I have on the shenanigans in 1MDB,” he said.

‘PAC member can speak out’

Pua also slammed PAC member and Gerakan’s Simpang Renggam MP Liang Teck Meng, who also said the DAP lawmaker should quit before debating with the 1MDB boss, as ignorant.

"Liang obviously hasn’t been to many parliaments around the world.

"Parliaments in developed nations have no problems with vocal PAC members from speaking outside of PAC meetings," he said.

“Unlike Malaysia, where the government is trying its level best to suppress the information received within the PAC, 67 percent of Commonwealth parliaments, including countries in Africa, hold their PAC hearings in full public view.

“They have nothing to hide, unlike the BN government.

“Hence, how can conducting a live public talk show or discussion on a matter of public interest with the person who is best placed to explain the issue be considered an ‘insult’?” he asked.

He added that it did not matter if he won or lost the debate, and that even if his motivation was to seek revenge, there are eight BN lawmakers in the PAC who would have the power to keep him in check.