Daim forms third task force on 1MDB
1MDB, Felda, Mara, and Tabung Haji were discussed by Daim Zainuddin and the Elders.
(FMT) – Another task force is being convened to investigate the financial affairs of 1MDB, the third in three years, and two years after a previous four-agency task force was disbanded and the investigation aborted.
Daim Zainuddin of the government’s newly-constituted Council of Elders said last night that he had identified those who would assist in the investigation, to be carried out under the purview of the team.
The investigating team will submit a report to the government, Daim said.
1MDB was at the centre of a long drawn-out political controversy culminating in Pakatan Harapan’s general election victory last week which ended the Umno-led coalition’s six decades in power.
A special task force comprising the heads of the police, Bank Negara, and the anti-corruption agency, and Attorney-General’s chambers began investigating 1MDB in 2015 but was disbanded a year later after three members left office.
Another task force was formed by the police force in 2016 under the former IGP, Khalid Abu Bakar.
The original task force of the”Four Tan Sris” had included Bank Negara governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz. She was appointed to the Council of Elders on Saturday.
Daim spoke about the new investigation after chairing a meeting of the Council of Elders which continued late into the night. Zeti, former Petronas president Mohd Hassan Marican and economist Jomo Kwame Sundaram were at the meeting.
Billionaire tycoon Robert Kuok was not present as he is currently overseas.
Daim said the five-member team discussed the current economic situation, national debt, the foreign exchange value of the ringgit, the Goods and Services Tax and fuel subsidies, among other issues.
“These are the major things. We are making the recommendations to the government. At the end they will decide,” he said.
Tabung Haji, Mara and Felda under scrutiny
Daim said the council would call up the Public Private Partnership Unit of the Prime Minister’s Department, related ministries and government-linked companies to brief them on various mega projects.
The governance of government agencies such as Tabung Haji, Mara and Felda would also come under scrutiny. Various financial problems and scandals involving the three agencies have dominated headlines for the past three years, and became campaign fodder for Pakatan Harapan.
High cost of security contracts for schools
Daim said the oversupply of office space and housing was also discussed and the cost of providing security for schools. “It cost more than the assets they’re guarding,” he said.
The council will meet every day for 100 days, and on some days, a few times a day. “I want to finish this within 100 days. After that I want to sleep,” he quipped, Bernama reported.
