Second Finance Minister Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah - Putrajaya's spokesperson on 1MDB related issues - was unwilling to talk about tycoon Jho Low's alleged involvement with company.

During a live televised interview with RTM1 , Husni avoided questions about Low twice, before relenting on the third.

"I don't want to speak about Jho Low. I don't want to glamourise him," said Husni, during the programme titled "1MDB: Where has the money gone".

Low's alleged involvement with 1MDB has been extensively covered by whistleblower website Sarawak Report .

In February, Sarawak Report showed leaked email communications which purporteldy revealed that USD700 million from 1MDB's joint-venture with PetroSaudi International were channeled into Hong Kong-based Good Star Ltd.

During the programme, Husni confirmed that there was a USD700 million transaction between PetroSaudi and Good Star, but stressed that there is no proof of links with Low.

"There is no confirmation Low owned Good Star. (The claims are) only from media reports.

"It was PetroSaudi who decided to pay USD700 million to Good Star, which was their subsidiary. Not us.

"PetroSaudi even lodged a police report to the fraud division of the London police in denying the media reports.

"The money is not lost. So there is no need for questions about Jho Low," said Husni.

Surprise question

Immediately after Husni replied the question on Low, the interviewers followed up with a question that was posed to the minister through Twitter.

It turned out that the question was from Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua - one-half of the Pakatan Rakyat duo who are 1MDB's harshest critics. The other half being Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli.

Of the 12 questions which Pua ( photo ) had asked Husni, the interviewers selected a question in which he asked "Second finance minister: Why USD1.2 billion was paid by 1MDB to Good Star Ltd, owned by Jho Low, on grounds that it was to repay a loan from PetroSaudi?"

In reply, Husni said Pua's claim is false.

"The media only reported about the US$700 million. Where did this US$1.2 billion come from?

"(As) I said (earlier), Good Star is only following PetroSaudi's order (by receiving the money). It has nothing to do with 1MDB," he said.

Pua's tweet was the only question which the interviewers solicited from the public.

International standards

Throughout the interview, Husni repeatedly said that there was nothing wrong with 1MDB, eventhough public opinion on the company was unfavourable.

He said the Finance Ministry, as the 100 percent owner of 1MDB, had always applied international standards of doing business.

On former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad's allegation that RM27 billion of 1MDB's debts were unaccounted for, Husni said that this was impossible.

"If the banking industry knew that RM27 billion was lost, they will be the first to ask questions. They will not keep quiet. Thus the money is not lost," he said.

On 1MDB's decision to switch auditing companies from KPMG to Deloitte, Husni said it was normal for big firms to do so once every three years.

He added that 1MDB's venture into the Middle East through PetroSaudi was more than just investments, as it was good for Malaysia's image.

"Because of the deals, the Arab royal family gave us the right to built trains from Arafah to Mecca.

"When our people visited to perform Umrah or Hajj, they will see the metro and can be proud that it was built by fellow Malays," he said.

In November last year, Makkah Mass Rail Transit Co named Prasarana as a consultant for Phase 1 of the Makkah Public Transport Programme, which covers the construction of two train lines.