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Is Salleh challenging integrity of 1MDB audit report, asks Kit Siang
Published:  Jul 10, 2016 6:39 PM
Updated: Jul 11, 2016 3:52 AM

DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang questioned if Umno minister Salleh Said Keruak was challenging the integrity of the auditor-general's report on 1MDB.

This is over Salleh accusing the London-based whistleblower site Sarawak Report of misleading the public by publishing a series of stories related to the classified audit report on 1MDB.

"He cannot be more wrong unless he is also challenging the veracity and integrity of the auditor-general’s findings," said Lim in a statement.

The Gelang Patah MP also noted Salleh did not suggest that Sarawak Report presented a false, fraudulent or fictitious account of the AG’s Report on 1MDB.

"This means that Salleh accepts that the Sarawak Reports leaks are based on the true and genuine version of the AG’s Report on 1MDB," he said.

Lim urged Salleh to disclose the findings of the audit report on 1MDB.

He also questioned if the minister wanted the audit report to be maintained as a classified document under the Official Secrets Act.

"This is a most ludicrous and untenable position and shows that the Najib government has a lot of things to hide," he said.

Yesterday, Salleh responded to the leaks, claiming the website was "misleading" the public with its articles.

He argued that the auditor-general’s report was only "one component of many" in the public accounts committee's (PAC) final report on 1MDB.

"He is wrong in asserting that the PAC report on 1MDB is the complete, final and conclusive report on 1MDB," said Lim.

This is because PAC is only a parliamentary committee tasked with inquiring into the 1MDB scandal, he said.

Parliament must make the final decision on whether the PAC Report is satisfactory, through a resolution after a debate on a motion to accept or reject the PAC's 1MDB report, he said.

"The Malaysian Parliament is denied the 'full and integral' PAC report on 1MDB, where the AG’s Report on 1MDB, which should be an appendix or attachment to the PAC Report, was omitted on the grounds of Official Secrets Act (OSA).

"This is the most unprecedented denial of information to MPs to frustrate them from making a proper judgment on the PAC Report on 1MDB," he said.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak had ordered both the auditor-general and the PAC to probe 1MDB in March, 2015.

The 1MDB audit report, which was tabled to the PAC on March 4, was classified under OSA.

The government promised the document would be declassified once the PAC's 1MDB report was tabled in Parliament. However, Umno minister Azalina Othman Said later claimed this wasn't necessary.

PAC chief Hasan Arifin said it was up to the cabinet to decide whether to declassify the 1MDB audit report.

Sarawak Report claimed it had obtained a copy of the 1MDB report and has continuously revealed its findings since last Thursday.

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