1Malaysia Development Bhd’s (1MDB) newly- minted CEO Arul Kanda Kandasamy has been urged by Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua to respond to his critics with facts and figures instead of attacking them.

Among others, Pua called on Arul to explain what he meant when he announced that 1MDB’s funds parked at Cayman Islands have been fully redeemed.

“Arul is not hired to play politics but to put 1MDB back in shape.  If critics like myself get our facts and figures wrong, feel free to shame us with the right facts and figures.

“Let these facts and figures speak for themselves, instead of attempting to taint the critics,” Pua ( right ) said in sending the message to Arul in a media statement today.

He said this in reference to an interview with Arul published by The Edge on Monday, in which Pua said Arul had only offered “meek” responses that are not backed by figures.

The DAP publicity chief highlighted that Arul had repeatedly said in the interview, when responding to several questions, that the relevant figures were in the company’s accounts, but that the accounts were not with him at that time.

The questions were on the state investment company’s liquidity and the price of the options 1MDB previously granted to Abu Dhabi-based investment company Aabar.

Arul took office on Jan 5, replacing Mohd Hazem Abdul Rahman, who resigned .

As for Arul’s announcement that 1MDB has fully redeemed its RM8.24 billion parked with a Cayman Islands fund manager, Pua said it was “short on details”.

“It will certainly raise the public’s confidence in 1MDB if the new CEO could be more specific if he meant, by ‘redeemed’, that the proceeds from the disposal of the investment in Cayman Islands have already been ‘received’ by 1MDB.

“Arul should also confirm the actual amount received in cash by the company. Such disclosure will certainly go a long way towards lifting the veil of secrecy veil over the various mysterious actions of 1MDB over the past five years,” Pua said.