Scrap roadshow and just explain 1MDB, PM told

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The government should scrap its plans to hold a nationwide roadshow to explain the 1MDB issue, ‘advised’ DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang, to avoid another fiasco like the ‘Nothing2Hide’ dialogue session.

This is unless Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak offers an immediate explanation on the Wall Street Journal’ s reports alleging that 1MDB funds had been used to bankroll his 13th general election campaign and the looming Sarawak state election, he said.

The Gelang Patah MP expressed doubt that Najib can restore his credibility since he had remained silent on the reports since they were published.

“Najib’s thunderous silence on the third day of the Wall Street Journal exposé on Friday that the 1MDB funds running into billions of ringgit had been used to bankroll his 13th general election campaign does not brook well that the prime minister’s credibility can recover with any “Public Relations” gimmickry like 1MDB nation-wide roadshows,” he said in a statement today.

He said the prime minister should offer an immediate and convincing rebuttal to the allegations, or announce that he would personally testify before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on the matter.

Lim was responding to a Bernama report today quoting Deputy Finance Minister Ahmad Maslan ( photo ) saying that the government will go on a nationwide roadshow after Hari Raya to explain several current issues.

Previously, Wall Street Journal had reported that the 1MDB-linked charity Yayasan Rakyat 1Malaysia (YR1M) had been used as an intermediary to channel 1MDB’s funds for election campaigning in the last general election, and is now funding social activities in Sarawak where a state election is widely being anticipated.

An election in the state is due by mid-2016.

The prime minister is YR1M’s chairperson, as well as the chairperson of 1MDB’s board of advisers.

The Prime Minister’s Office had not responded directly to the prominent financial newspaper’s allegations, only stating, “Unfortunately, the prime minister’s political opponents, unwilling to accept his record or the facts, continue to try to undermine him with baseless smears and rumours for pure political gain.”

It has yet to respond to Malaysiakini ’s own queries on the Wall Street Journal’ s allegations.



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