Is Umno-linked lawyer Shafee Abdullah's insistence that 1MDB critics quit the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) setting the stage for 1MDB top dogs Arul Kanda and Shahrol Halmi, and even Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to boycott the parliament body’ probe?
DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang mulled this possibility today, after Shafee repeated his urging that Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua step down from the committee, yesterday.
“Will 1MDB president and group executive director Arul and former 1MDB CEO Shahrol walk out (and boycott) PAC hearings on 1MDB, probably escorted by Shafee as their counsel, [..] on the grounds that Pua is “biased” and has not stepped down as PAC member?
“This would provide an excellent precedent for Najib, though in law and fact he is the final approving authority for 1MDB, not to appear before the PAC to answer the thousand-and-one queries,” Lim said in a statement today.
This move he said, would possible be chapter four of the government’s ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ offensive, after months of relentless attacks.
Shafee's ( photo ) first urging for Pua to quit was reported on Thursday.
PAC chairperson Nur Jazlan however defended Pua , and told Shafee to stay out of the committee’s business.
Lim said 1MDB and Najib had no reason to fear Pua, who has an open mind about the investment arm’s scandals, and should even welcome other MPs like Pandan lawmaker Rafizi Ramli, to join the hearing as “guest PAC members”.
“This would demonstrate that 1MDB has absolutely ‘Nothing2Hide’ and is capable of winning over all MPs who are ‘doubting Thomases’ with facts and figures,” he said, mocking the ‘Nothing2Hide’ 1MDB dialogue for which Najib failed to turn up.
Besides Shafee’s offensive against Pua, Najib and 1MDB have also been riding on news that leaked emails from PetroSaudi International were tampered with, to hit back at critics.
Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has even said he would deport any Malaysian media practitioners who use the tampered emails, to assist Thai police with their investigations on the matter.
