What Does Ariff Sabri REALLY want?

Sebastian Yeoh

A man of contradictions, Raub MP Ariff Sabri cannot make up his mind about what he wants the AG to do in the investigation of 1MDB accounts.

1.       His doubts and hopes contradict each other.

He expressed doubts that the Auditor-General’s will yield anything dramatic BUT hopes for a “vigorous and thorough” job from the AG.

2.       He alleges Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak ordered the audit as:

i)                    a ruse to show that 1MDB is transparent and clean.

ii)                  to project that 1MDB has a semblance of transparency and has been fraudless in its dealings

3.       He accuses PM Najib of trying to buy time. Sabri slyly insinuates the PM hopes that public interest in the issue will have waned when the AG finally comes up with his report. Earlier, he had emphasized he wants a “vigorous and thorough” job from the AG.

4.       Sabri states what he wants clearly:

• for “the Auditor-General to thoroughly examine 1MDB, determine and report who to blame if any wrongdoing has been committed

He negates that  by acknowledging  “the AG will have a tough time”  because:

i)                    thousands of documents, including e-mails, to go through and that crucial data may have been destroyed (but he forgot how IT forensics can recover lost files)

ii)                   he  thinks the investigation will come to nothing because:

§  it will take a long time, one year at least for the AG to come up with the right forensic team,

§  if his outfit has none, he will have to outsource it.

§  he will probably report to a committee

§  then only the Public Accounts Committee, whose chairman has been quite vocal, will get his hands on it

iii)                  “everything is ready” in 2 to 3 years by which “the public, much to the delight of the actors behind the 1MDB fiasco, will have forgotten the severity of the issue.”

iv)                 PM’s lawsuit against Pua will ensure no one can speak about the matter because it’s sub judice.

After beating around the bush, Sabri screws up and concludes that 1MDB will be whitewashed, with the AG’s report finding nothing incriminating. His allegations indicate his alternate occupation is writing for the paparazzi or for sleazy grade B crime flicks.

I propose Ariff Sabri heads a special committee to investigate 1MDB. Then, we can see if he will do what he recommended others to do. Talk is easy. Actions speak louder than words. What about your silence on the rare earth project in your own backyard? Any updates, YB?