Shafee suggests Pua withdraw from PAC’s 1MDB inquiry
(The Malaysian Insider) – Public Accounts Committee (PAC) member Tony Pua, who is a well-known critic of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), should step down from being member of the Parliament’s bi-partisan panel, lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said today.
This is to ensure the current probe into the troubled company can be conducted in a fairer and transparent manner, Berita Harian reported him as saying.
The Bahasa Malaysia daily quoted the Umno lawyer as airing his personal view by suggesting that Pua and PAC members, who are 1MDB’s strident critics, are more suited to become witnesses in the PAC inquiry instead.
He said it is important to accord justice to 1MDB without any prejudice from any quarters in relation to the ongoing PAC investigation.
“I’ve noticed Pua, as a PAC member, has issued a lot of statements which can affect investigations into the company.
“As such, I propose that he withdraw himself from PAC to return the public’s confidence that the inquiry can be conducted fairly and transparently,” he added.
He said the call was made because, as a lawyer and supporter of justice, he does not want PAC to be seen as being unfair to 1MDB as the case has caught the public’s attention.
“PAC members including Pua should be like judges in this case, and not by making accusations and making public statements. It is better they be witnesses if they want to issue such statements,” he was further quoted as saying.
