Selangor Menteri Besar Azmin Ali today insisted that he has answered all questions in relation to the controversial Darul Ehsan Investment Group (DEIG).

Azmin was responding to reports that claimed that he has been keeping mum on the operational status of DEIG.

"Yesterday they claimed that I've kept mum. Where (have I kept mum)?

"You have to be fair. You want to represent Utusan Malaysia , okay, fair enough.

"You want to represent TV3 ? That's already their job," Azmin told reporters in Shah Alam today.

Urging the media to tell the truth to the public, Azmin pointed out that he had answered questions related to DEIG in the state assembly.

"Look at the federal government, do they dare to answer in Parliament? Do they dare to appear before the public accounts committee (PAC)?" he asked.

The MB said he had already explained many times that DEIG has to date not engaged in any activity.

“There has not been any transaction, any assets, any activities, I have explained this in the Dewan.

“You can’t expect me to have to answer this every day,” Azmin told reporters.

Principles of accountability and transparency

Azmin added that according to the state assembly's rules, for every 'penyata' (statement) presented, the state government will reply to it in the next state assembly sitting.

"I can take that option, but I didn't. Immediately after listening to debates on the matter, I notified the speaker stating that the state government wants to give its answer.

"This is so that there would not be misunderstanding or room for slander. And I took 37 minutes to give my explanation (on the matter)," he said.

Azmin said from the formation of DEIG in May until the end of the year, they want to ensure that all structure of governance is strengthened.

"Although DEIG is a company [...] we want to make sure that it is controlled by additional provisions because we want to show how the Selangor state government can administer assets with the principles of accountability and transparency," he added.

Azmin said DEIG would have access to the PAC as well as to a select committee.

"(Everything is) very transparent. So long as all these are not strengthened, DEIG will not be in operation," he affirmed.

DEIG has come under heated debate the past month as it is an additional state investment arm that some complain will not report to the state assembly as it is registered as a private company.