Claiming offered info on 1MDB, Kit Siang says won’t deal with ‘mercenaries’

(Malay Mail Online) – DAP’s Lim Kit Siang today claimed he refused to buy information offered on 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), saying he will not trade with “mercenary characters” unlike Umno’s Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan.

In his latest rejoinder targeting the Umno minister for backing forgery claims against Sarawak Report by a former journalist who admitted he was paid to do so, the DAP parliamentary leader said he was not like the Kota Belud MP in the latter’s willingness to accept information from dubious sources.

Lim asserted that he rejected an offer for information on 1MDB when the unnamed caller solicited payment in return several days ago.

“As illustrated by the most recent example early this week, I would not  touch with a barge pole seedy,  dubious and mercenary  characters who claim to  have ‘vital info’ for sale, for if the ‘messenger’ is disreputable and mercenary, what is the  credibility of his message?” Lim said in a statement.

“But I am really speechless that Abdul Rahman could reply to my wonder that ‘he is blissfully unaware that he has egg all over his face’ with the copy-cat response of ‘Clearly the eggs are on your face Mr Lim, not mine,’” Lim added.

Lim previously mocked the urban wellbeing, housing and local government minister for publicising a former journalist’s claim that Sarawak Report forged documents on 1MDB, after the latter confessed to receiving payment for his role in the purported exposé.

This prompted Abdul Rahman to issue a riposte asking Lim why his party did not have similar qualms about relying on information allegedly secured from former PetroSaudi International (PSI) executive Xavier Andre Justo.

“Is @limkitsiang worried his star MP cld be proven lying abt mtg Justo? Clearly the eggs are on your face Mr Lim, not mine. @malaymailonline,” the Kota Belud MP wrote on Twitter last night.

Justo is under arrest in Thailand over various charges including blackmail and extortion, and is believed to be the source of leaked documents on 1MDB’s dealings with PSI.

A DAP lawmaker has been implicated in meeting with Justo after Thai police revealed that the former executive confessed to meeting several Malaysian personalities over the documents.