Amanah Raya Bhd (ARB) chairperson Reezal Merican Naina Merican is demanding that Tanjong MP Ng Wei Aik retracts his claim that the company had lent RM2 billion to 1MDB and to make a public apology for this.

Reezal is also demanding that two online news portals, The Malaysian Insider and Free Malaysia Today , do the same for their reports on Ng’s statement, although he acknowledged that The Malaysian Insider had also carried reports of his denial last week.

“Everything that Ng had said cannot be allowed to pass just like that, because his claims are very serious – the accusation against me is one thing, but the accusation against Amanah Raya - as though we have given a bailout to 1MDB.

“Therefore, I am announcing today that I have commenced legal action against Ng ( photo ) with the issue of a letter of demand to him and to the two news portals” Reezal, who is BN Kepala Batas MP, told a press conference at the Parliament lobby today.

Ng and the two news portals have seven days to respond, from yesterday, when the letters of demand were delivered.

However, Reezal claimed that when representatives from his lawyer came to Parliament to serve the letter on Ng, he refused to accept it and the letter was delivered to his office instead.

To a question on whether he would file a defamation suit if they refused to comply, Reezal became coy in his response.

'I am a person who practises magnanimity'

“Let us decide when we reach that stage, because I now want to send a signal. I don’t want a culture embedded in our community (where people) slander, apologise, and get away with it. I am not going to vouch and bow down to that kind of concept.

“However I am a person who also practises magnanimity. I have sent the letter of demand, and I will see how he reacts to my letter of demand,” Reezal said.

He lamented that Ng had never sought him out for a response to his claim and that Ng even

did not have the documents to substantiate his allegation.

Reezal, who is also a member of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), revealed that he was, in fact, critical of 1MDB as well.

On April 10, Ng announced at a press conference that ARB had lent RM2 billion to 1MDB in the form of an IOU bill, at an interest rate of four percent a year, and that the money had not been repaid.

Both Reezal and 1MDB denied the allegation on the same day, with 1MDB president Arul Kanda saying that it does not have any financial dealings with ARB.

When met at the Parliament lobby later, Ng told Malaysiakini that he has yet to receive the letter, but that he is stands with his allegations.

To a question, he said he rejected the lawyer's letter because the Standing Orders forbids it from being served, claiming that it amounts to a contempt of Parliament.

“As a lawyer and as an MP, we should know that you cannot serve any notice of demand in vicinity of the Parliament...

“I can implicate him if he serves the letter,” Ng said.