Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Paul Low has pledged legal action against the individuals named in the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) lawsuits related to 1MDB.

But this is only if it is proven that money was misappropriated from the state investment fund, he said.

"I wish to refer to the recent actions taken by the US Department of Justice based on civil complaints against certain individuals who are Malaysians.

"As these allegations make reference to 1MDB, the government takes the matter very seriously," Low said when delivering his keynote address at a symposium on governance.

"The cases must be viewed on the facts and evidence that have been presented by the investigators.

"Should it be established that funds were taken out from 1MDB, the government will take legal action against the individuals named, or anyone else who is complicit in the scheme to allegedly defraud 1MDB," he pledged.

"The money – if stolen from us – must be recovered in full, and those guilty punished in accordance with our laws and those of the countries where the money was laundered.”

He said the government’s credibility and reputation are in question.

"Therefore appropriate action must be taken against the perpetrators of the crime," he added.

Criminal prosecutions must be instituted and the law must be upheld, he stressed.

"Our enforcement agencies and the attorney-general must cooperate fully with all international agencies to deal with the matter in an appropriate manner in order to allay negative perception and restore the trust and confidence of the people for the government," he said.

The symposium is jointly organised by the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA) and Malaysian Institute of Corporate Governance (MICG).

The minister in charge of integrity and governance, however did not name anyone in his 20-minute speech.

Gambling debts

On July 20, DOJ filed suits claiming that funds allegedly misappropriated from 1MDB, had been used to settle gambling debts, purchase properties, artworks, a yacht and even a plane.

Among the four named in the filings, Riza Aziz is Najib’s stepson whereas Jho Low is a businessman reportedly close to the prime minister’s family.

The DOJ also alleged that Malaysian Official 1, whom it described as a high ranking public official who had a position of authority in 1MDB, had received US$731 million siphoned from the state investment firm.

Malaysian Official 1 was mentioned 36 times in DOJ's court document.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has repeatedly denied abusing public funds for personal gain, and attorney-general Mohamad Apandi Ali has cleared him of any wrongdoing in an earlier investigation over US$681 million found in Najib's bank account.

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid had stressed that any Malaysian individual or corporation found guilty in engaging in unlawful activities anywhere in the world, would face the full brunt of the law.

Zahid noted the government viewed the DOJ filing seriously, adding that Malaysia welcomed the efforts by the US DOJ in battling international corruption.

He urged all parties involved to cooperate fully, so that the appropriate legal processes can take their course.

Proper upbringing

In his speech, Low said the best measure to improve integrity was through the proper upbringing of individuals.

"The culture of integrity can be reinforced firstly via ethical leadership coming from our parents and family members, from our schools and education, and from leaders in our society who can be proper role models," he said.

"Every person has a role to play to uphold integrity, so that integrity itself becomes a cultural norm of behaviour in our society," he said.

Once integrity is embedded in our culture, he said, the issue of trust will underpin relations with others, as with employees and customers in the case of businesses, and the public with government and elected political leaders.