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Kini Roundup: Bid to control 1MDB narrative, blame game over PAC report
Published:  Apr 8, 2016 6:40 AM
Updated: 11:58 PM

Here’s a recap of major headlines yesterday you may have missed.

PAC report: Mismanagement or corruption?

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report on 1MDB was finally tabled in Parliament with damning findings, including the fact that 1MDB had sacked its auditors for asking too many questions and Putrajaya would need to fork out some RM20 billion if the company fails.

The government was keen to present the report as merely a case of weaknesses in 1MDB's management with Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak saying the findings proved claims of RM42 billion going missing from 1MDB is untrue .

A federal minister said the PAC report highlighted bad management in 1MDB and urged Malaysians to move on.

While 1MDB's RM42 billion did not disappear, the PAC report did highlight that billions was transferred to unauthorised accounts and it is unclear what had happened to the money.

Among this include the diversion of 1MDB's US$700 million to Good Star Limited and the payment US$1.367 billion to Aabar Investments PJS Ltd, whose ownership is unclear – both without the permission of 1MDB's board of directors.

The PAC report was based on the auditor-general's report and it is not known if Malaysians would ever know the full details as the report remains classified under the Official Secrets Act 1972.

However, police said it will scrutinise both the PAC's recommendations and the auditor-general's report to see if there is a need for further action.

While Malaysian authorities are wrangling over whether there is a case, financial regulators in Switzerland called the 1MDB matter a " clear case of corruption ".

1MDB blame game begins

Everyone seems to be blaming everyone following the release of the PAC report, with the committee itself stating that former 1MDB chief executive officer Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi should be held responsible .

Shahrol insisted that he had done no wrong while ex-premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad claimed the former was being made to take the fall for the prime minister.

PAC member Tony Pua said Najib should also be held accountable , but his colleague Tan Seng Giaw said Najib was not involved in 1MDB.

While the PAC report noted that the 1MDB board of directors had instructed for Najib to be briefed about what was happening, it said there were no evidence Najib got the message in writing.

Meanwhile, the 1MDB board of directors have offered to resign over the report but a PKR MP said that wouldn't absolve them.

The 1MDB board of directors have collectively offered to resign following the release of the Public Accounts Committee...

Posted by Malaysiakini on Thursday, April 7, 2016

Rafizi making news from behind lockup

PKR secretary-general Rafizi Ramli, who blew the whistle on Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera, may be in detention for releasing classified documents, but he's still making the news.

There was debate over whether Rafizi was handcuffed when taken to court for remand with police insisting that it didn't happen.

Opposition MPs also protested against his arrest which took place at the Parliament gates on Tuesday, claiming it to be in contempt of Parliament.

Dewan Rakyat speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia said this wasn't the case , but said police should have informed him about the arrest first.

Other Kini bites:

Najib was not allowed to use the fact that the authorities had cleared him of wrongdoing over his multi-billion ringgit deposits in his suit against Harakah which questioned the source of his step-son's wealth.

The Finance Ministry said the company it owns SRC International doesn't know who instructed the company to deposit RM42 million into Najib's personal bank accounts.

Chief secretary to the government Ali Hamsa said there were four attempts to transfer the officer who embezzled up to RM38.5 milion from the Youth and Sports Ministry but this was blocked by the ministry.

Drama at the trial of deputy public prosecutor Kevin Anthony Morais' murder as an accused claimed a witness threatened to slit his throat.

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said he is ready to debate Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Govenment Minister Abdul Rahman Dahlan over the Taman Manggis land controversy.

AirAsia is investigating claims that a lizard was found in the nasi lemak it served to a passenger.

Looking ahead

PKR's Rafizi Ramli is expected to be charged under the Official Secrets Act at Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court this morning.

PAC member Tony Pua is expected to provide his personal comments on the committee's report on 1MDB at 11.30am.

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