If DAP lawmaker Tony Pua has substantial evidence regarding wrongdoings in 1MDB, then he should not be afraid to resign as a member of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), said Ketereh MP Annuar Musa.

However, the Mara chairperson said Pua is likened to not having the ‘T’ to resign or accept the dare which he initiated to debate with 1MDB president Arul Kanda Kandasamy.

The ‘T’ is an obvious reference to ‘telur’ (eggs) which is the crude Malay expression for fortitude.

“1MDB is being investigated by MACC, police and PAC. There is no way for 1MDB to hide anything. This firm has been stripped naked ‘ditelanjangkan’.

“1MDB itself has been open and the prime minister has also vowed to take action if wrongdoings are detected,” he told Umno Online.

As for the debate, Annuar (photo) named Opposition Leader Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as the most suitable candidate to lock horns with Arul Kanda.

The Umno lawmaker added that Wan Azizah should take the lead to prove that she is not a mere puppet in the opposition.

Annuar also lauded the 1MDB president for being a 'gentleman' and accepting the challenge, which is 'proof of high transparency and accountability'.

“But this openness does not mean we are correct on all things... not necessarily. That is why I said if the investigation process finds wrongdoings, legal action would be taken.

“It is just that the opposition cannot accept that when there is an allegation, an investigation must be conducted.

“They want the accused to be punished immediately... the problem now is that they make accusations and they mete out the punishment... what kind of legal process are they using?” he said.

Pua had issued the challenge for a live TV grilling of the 1MDB president, who accepted with the condition that the DAP lawmaker should resign from PAC.

Arul Kanda later retracted this condition, and the stage for a showdown was tentatively set for this Friday on RTM.

However, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia cited several rules for the debates, threatening to quit if ignored.

Pandikar gave Pua the option of resigning from PAC or abstaining from the committee’s probe on 1MDB.

He also said if the debate was held, Arul Kanda could no longer be called as a witness for the PAC probe.

These conditions prompted the opposition to look at fielding a different candidate, with PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli being among the names suggested.