Who Should Be Charged For 1MDB?
I agree with Aziz Sheikh Fadzir that the government should hurry and charge those interviewed by PAC for lying, like the BOD, the auditors, Arul Kanda and Shahrol. Charge them and let the truth come out in court regarding 1MDB.
Ahmad Faiz Faiza
But it seems the government do not want to charge some of them especially Datuk Shahrol, the CEO of 1MDB when all these problems arose. From day one 1MDB become an issue, the target of Mahathir and PH have always been Najib only, and to an extent Arul Kanda. But how can you absolve the CEO Shahrul? You need to charge him to get to Najib. Till today if you say his name, many rakyat will stare at you blankly, for they have never heard of him in this 1MDB scandal.
At the same time, the government must also charge those in the MOF, Auditor General Office and Bank Negara. For these three organisations gave a clear green light with caveat of course, to the 1MDB problems. If the government now says 1MDB is bankrupt, then the Auditor General’s report stating 1MDB has assets worth more than its debt, is a lie. Same goes to the MOF officers and the ministers; that is Najib and former Finance Minister 2, Husni, who have been shilly-shallying in regards to the 1MDB issue.
Zeti Akhtar Aziz, who was the Bank Negara Governor at the time these issues arose, must also be held responsible. She herself stated that any investment above RM100 million abroad must get the permission of Bank Negara. That means that the investment in PetroSaudi, worth more than USD1 billion, must have got Bank Negara’s approval. If not, the transaction would not have been approved. It is similar to money coming into the country, especially the RM2.6 billion to Najib. Without Bank Negara’s approval, the money cannot enter the country.
This is something that not many rakyat has experienced. But those who deal with such large transactions would know this. Even if you deposit RM100k into your bank, the bank will phone you up to inquire about the source of such money. More so if it involves millions and billions of ringgit. They need to report it to Bank Negara.
The current Bank Negara Governor is also not off the hook. Besides just imposing a fine to 1MDB, Bank Negara under him recently stated that the country’s debt is under control and our GDP is more than enough to cover the debt at a 1.1 ratio. They made another statement stating that our country’s reserve is the highest in history, as also announced by Zeti.
But less than a week after such an announcement, Mahathir and LGE stated otherwise. Mahathir even said the financial data etc are incorrect. And they painted a picture that our country is near bankrupt. Now they say we are not bankrupt, but the debt level is above the statutory limit as opposed to the GDP. In short, is Mahathir and MOF under LGE lying, or is Bank Negara lying about our current economic situation?
Let’s face facts. If you want to get to the bottom of the 1MDB scandal, then you need to charge all the people above. For each had power that without it, 1MDB’s dubious transactions could not be made possible. For even if the government only wants to charge Najib, as far as foreign investors goes, they see it as a breakdown in financial order. And our much esteemed and respected worldwide Bank Negara, its former governor Zeti, and Auditor Generals Office would be tainted as well if they are not also held accountable like the Attorney General Chambers. Let them have their day in court and clear their name if they are innocent, which I believe they are.
And that is why the market is reacting like it is now, although with other external factors involved. But to lose such big investments in just a few days, should ring alarm bells.
I chose to support Zeti’s statement, Bank Negara’s and Auditor General’s report about our current economy and fiscal situation as opposed to the MOF and PM’s office statements. As to 1MDB, I’d say charge these people involved quickly and not just Najib and Arul, but also Dato Shahrol and the lot. That is what I have said many times since this issue cropped up, and it is the same thing that Tan Seng Giaw, PAS, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, RPK, Auditor General, PAC report etc have said too. And it is the same thing Aziz Sheikh Fadzir now has pointed out again. Why are they still protecting this Shahrol especially, is beyond me.
The ball is now with the government.
