Lim Kit Siang has challenged 1MDB's chief executive officer Arul Kanda to contest in the coming general election.

The veteran DAP leader said this is because Arul has been making numerous statements regarding 1MDB outside of Parliament.

“Over the past three days, Arul has made many statements on 1MDB.

“This is an insult to Parliament because these issues should be answered by the prime minister, deputy prime minister and ministers.

“But they are afraid to do so and therefore Arul answers these issues outside of Parliament.

“So I am challenging him to contest in the general election on a BN ticket so that he can answer the (1MDB issue) in Parliament,” he told a press conference in Parliament today.

Arul Kanda resurfaces

Of late, Arul Kanda has been claiming that foreign interest in the Tun Razak Exchange project was "proof" of 1MDB's success.

He also claimed that 1MDB does not have short-term debts and its assets were worth far more than the total RM31 billion debt that the Putrajaya-owned company eventually have to repay.

1MDB again fell in the international media spotlight recently following the seizure of the US$250 million megayacht The Equanimity by the Indonesian and US authorities. 

US authorities had claimed that the yacht was acquired through laundered 1MDB funds and was ultimately owned by Penang-born Jho Low. 

Putrajaya and 1MDB have dismissed this claim as false.

Don't rubber stamp EC report

Meanwhile, Lim also urged Dewan Rakyat speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia to not allow the passage of the Election Commission's new constituency redelineation report without proper debate.

He said MPs needed time to study the report and seek public feedback.

The matter, he said, should also be subject to the scrutiny of a new parliamentary select committee.

"Parliament should not be held to ransom because of the impending general election to become a rubber-stamp to approve the executive's proposal on new constituency redelineation.

"This would be a grave abdication of responsibility by parliament and the latest great blow to the doctrine of separation of powers among the executive, legislature and judiciary," he said.

The matter is expected to be debated and passed by the Dewan Rakyat tomorrow. It will not require passage through the upper house.