PARLIAMENT | The Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) has no plan to send lawyers to the US to observe the Department of Justice's (DOJ) civil forfeiture suits on 1MDB-linked assets.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Azalina Othman Said said Putrajaya respects the rule of law and the DOJ's freedom to initiate legal proceedings it deems necessary.

"The Malaysian government also takes note that the civil suits are currently under the US judiciary and that no criminal action has been initiated against any individual for criminal misconduct, and that there has been no court decision on the matter," Azalina said in a written parliamentary reply dated July 24.

Azalina was replying to Azman Ismail (PKR-Kuala Kedah) on whether Putrajaya would send lawyers to the US to observe the case. 

The DOJ is seeking to seize more than US$1.7 billion in assets it claims were purchased using funds allegedly misappropriated from 1MDB. 

However, attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali has dismissed the US allegations, saying there is no evidence that any 1MDB funds had been misappropriated.

1MDB has also denied such assertions by the DOJ.