Statement by Datuk John Ambrose, Ketua Bahagian Umno Penampang

Shafie Apdal accused the government investment arm 1MDB of insulting the people’s intelligence and said that many details of concern to the people have not been addressed yet. Shafie, together with Muhyiddin Yassin, also attended the press conference organised by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today to protest the use of SOSMA against two individuals who were charged with attempting to sabotage Malaysia’s banking and financial services.

Maybe Shafie and Muhyiddin have forgotten that SOSMA was adopted into law by Parliament and that they both voted in support of this law. They did not, at that time, oppose the law or spoke out against it. In fact, SOSMA, which replaced the ISA, allows for a trial as opposed to detention without trial under the ISA, which has now been repealed.

Shafie and Muhyiddin were also both members of the Cabinet until July and 1MDB had been discussed during the Cabinet meetings so they cannot claim ignorance. In fact, Muhyiddin even chaired one of the Cabinet meetings when 1MDB was discussed and the whole issue was explained.

1MDB, which saw a new President early this year, presented its rationalisation and debt-reduction program to the Cabinet in June, which the Cabinet approved, and which both Shafie and Muhyiddin were still members of at that time. And it was made clear that 1MDB would need at least six months until the end of this year to complete its rationalisation and debt-reduction exercise. Shafie and Muhyiddin did not oppose this plan or disagree with it.

Now Shafie and Muhyiddin talk as if they were never informed of the facts surrounding 1MDB and were never a member of the Cabinet that approved the rationalisation and debt-reduction program. Did they speak out in June and state that they disagreed with the plan and wish to vote against it? In fact, when Muhyiddin chaired that Cabinet meeting he had the power to state his stand but did not.