PAS rejects PH offer to unite on 1MDB issue
A senior PAS leader says the Islamist party has its own ways of dealing with the 1MDB issue and warns of a ‘hidden agenda’ by western countries in the DoJ lawsuit.
(FMT) – PAS today rejected a Pakatan Harapan (PH) offer to join the coalition to ensure that those accused of misappropriating 1MDB funds are brought to justice.
The Islamist party said it did not wish to be influenced by foreign quarters.
“Pakatan Harapan is now the enemy of PAS and they have also alleged PAS had received money from Umno,” a member of the PAS working committee, Khairuddin Aman Razali, told FMT.
“We follow our own path. We are neither with Barisan Nasional (BN) nor with Pakatan Harapan. We follow our own ways in acting on the 1MDB issue and do not follow the wishes of others.”
Khairuddin said PAS would not follow blindly or be influenced by foreign quarters such as the United States Department of Justice (DoJ), which recently filed a civil forfeiture lawsuit to seize assets worth billions that were allegedly bought with stolen 1MDB money.
On the contrary, Khairuddin said, PAS rejected “foreign interference” and called for a domestic investigation of 1MDB, such as by a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI).
“Our domestic affairs should be resolved internally, not by foreigners. The question of integrity (of the investigation) is secondary but this is an issue concerning our country and should be resolved by us.”
PH today urged the government to call an emergency session of the Dewan Rakyat to answer the accusations made in the DoJ lawsuit.
The 4-party coalition will go on a road show through the country beginning in Kepala Batas, Penang, on July 6 to explain to the public the DoJ accusations, which government leaders have dismissed as politically motivated.
“We urge all opposition parties to set aside their differences and to cooperate and unite their energy to bring those involved in the 1MDB scandal to justice,” said a PH statement.
The statement was supported by two non-PH parties – Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) and Parti Warisan Sabah.
Khairuddin said the DoJ action was its right, but questioned the view that its investigation was fairer than those of other agencies.
He also linked the DoJ’s stand to the fate of the Palestinians.
“DoJ is under the control of the United States administration, so can it be fair to Muslims and Malaysians, since they have acted cruelly to the Muslims in Palestine?” said Khairuddin, who is the MP for Kuala Nerus.
He said he suspected the agenda of western countries was behind the DoJ action.
“Is the United States through the DoJ acting in our interest or is there a hidden agenda, or is there someone manipulating and abetting the West?” he said.
He said his party would leave it to the people to evaluate whether PAS’ stand on DoJ could be considered being “Umno-friendly”.
