PAC hauls up top civil servants to answer on 1MDB

(The Star) – Top officers from the Finance Ministry and a unit from Prime Minister’s Department have been called up by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) as the first step in initiating its own investigation into 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

PAC chairman Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed (pic) said the committee had unanimously agreed to call Treasury secretary-general Tan Sri Dr Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah and Economic Planning Unit (EPU) director-general Datuk Seri Dr Rahmat Bivi Yusof.

“During the discussion, all the PAC members, comprising of eight Barisan Nasional and five Opposition lawmakers, agreed to call all stakeholders involved in the management of 1MDB since its inception in 2009 after it changed its name to the Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA)

“Based on parliamentary procedures and powers given to PAC, all stakeholders must answer to the committee,” he said in statement on Monday.

Nur Jazlan said the committee will proceed to call 1MDB president and chief executive director Arul Kanda and its former CEO Datuk Shahrul Ibrahim Halmi, who served the company between Mar 2009 until Mar 2013, on May 26.

He said representatives from EPU must come forward despite having insisted that the EPU is not involved in any of 1MDB’s business decisions.

“They must appear in front of PAC, as they have appeared twice before this, to explain 1MDB’s investment decision involving the plot of land at the Tun Razak Exchange (TRX) and Bandar Malaysia, Sungai Besi,” he said.

Nur Jazlan, who is also Pulai MP, said the PAC can no longer wait for the report by the Auditor-General, who was instructed to audit 1MDB’s accounts.

He added that the PAC has not set a time limit to complete the probe on 1MDB but assured that every aspect of the company’s financial management and investment would be investigated.