DAP’s Tony Pua urged to recuse himself from PAC’s 1MDB probe

(Malay Mail Online) – Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua has been urged to recuse himself from involvement in the Public Accounts Committee (PAC)’s investigations into 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club chairman Tan Sri Shahrir Abdul Samad said it was to ensure that PAC’s credibility would not be questioned by the people following claims that the DAP MP had met with former PetroSaudi International Ltd (PetroSaudi) executive Xavier Andre Justo in Singapore.

“I had suggested earlier to Tony Pua to exempt himself..I gave hints, I saw that he seemed to know a lot about 1MDB.

“For now, there has been no confirmation that Tony Pua was the opposition leader who had met with Justo,” he told reporters at an Aidilfitri open house organised by the club here today.

Shahrir was asked to comment on Pua’s position in the PAC following claims linking the latter to Justo.

There have been claims of attempts to topple the government by destabilising the country and undermining national security.

It was reported that opposition leaders had met Justo to buy information from him to discredit the Malaysian government.

A former Sarawak Tribune editor Lester Melanyi on Monday told The Star that he had met Justo, who admitted meeting several opposition leaders in London, two or three times in 2012 and 2013.

Shahrir also said if Pua had really met with Justo, he should admit it.

“He has refused to say whether he had met Justo, if he has, just say so,” he said.

Meanwhile, Bintulu MP Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing said the aggressive and vocal manner in which Pua spoke about the 1MDB could affect the transparency of PAC’s earlier investigations.

“As an insider in the PAC, you must be firm, analyse the issue before telling people about it,” Tiong said.