Umno supreme council member Ahmad Shabery Cheek said that the US Department of Justice (DOJ) civil forfeiture filing seeking to impound assets allegedly acquired from funds embezzled from government investment arm 1MDB is nothing out of the ordinary when it comes to the Malaysian government.
“What happened is a normal matter in the country’s administration. In fact, we have been faced with a situation which is bigger, like the Bumiputra Malaysia Finance (BMF) scandal,” national news agency Bernama quoted him as saying.
He was referring to BMF’s RM2.5 billion collapse in the 1980s, which back then was one of the largest financial scandals ever to hit the world headlines.
However, critics have argued that the 1MDB scandal is a larger case by far.
Ahmad Shabery, who is also Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister, said he believed the government would extend its cooperation to resolve the matter.
He also said that the people, especially the opposition, should not speculate negatively and make their own perception in respect of the DOJ filing.
Ahmad Shabery argued that it was still too early for all quarters to make their own assumptions on the issue as the matter was under investigation.
“We should not make any assumptions or to perceive negatively the matter as Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak himself has said that the Malaysian government would give its cooperation in providing information and whatever is required so that any decision made is based on the principle of justice.
“In this matter , we should not make any conclusion because no one can be said to be guilty until proven in the court,” he told reporters after launching the national-level Smart Community Day programme in Kemaman today.
Also present was Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission chairperson Halim Shafie.
Meanwhile, Terengganu Menteri Besar Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman, during a media conference in Kuala Nerus, Kuala Terengganu, said he hoped the matter could be solved amicably.
“When there is a complaint, investigation has to be conducted. I believe and am confident that the matter can be solved amicably,” he added.
On Wednesday the DOJ filed its civil suit seeking to seize assets belonging to Hollywood-based Malaysian movie producer Riza Aziz and controversial financier Jho Low, which were allegedly acquired from funds embezzled from 1MDB and laundered via a complicated series of transfers spanning the globe.
Riza Aziz is also Najib’s stepson, while Jho Low has been linked to alleged financial misappropriation from 1MDB.
