Apologise for what, Rafidah asks Arul Kanda over Equanimity seizure

Published: Apr 24, 2018 5:17 PM | Updated: Apr 24, 2018 5:45 PM

1MDB chief executive officer Arul Kanda Kandasamy has noted the absence of apologies from the firm's critics after the Indonesian courts found that the country's police had not lawfully seized the 1MDB-linked superyacht, Equanimity.

However, one of the critics he named, former international trade and industry minister Rafidah Aziz, questioned the need to apologise...

However, one of the critics he named, former international trade and industry minister Rafidah Aziz, questioned the need to apologise.

In an interview with the Singapore Strait Times yesterday, Arul Kanda said the yacht seizure had triggered a "coordinated and sustained" attack on 1MDB.

"There were so many negative comments against 1MDB and the government including by people like Rafidah and (former communication minister) Rais Yatim who had an axe to grind, (they) made all sorts of malicious and misleading statements.

"But (after the Indonesian court ruling) do you see any apology from Rafidah... from Rais... from the opposition politicians who were barking and braying about this issue? I don't think so," he added.

Rafidah, who is known as the iron lady, fired a salvo on Arul Kanda over his remarks.

"Apologise for what? For saying facts?" she asked.

She explained that her comments on the matter concerned the Malaysian authorities' inability to track the yacht or seize it, when the Indonesians could.

Turning the tables, the former minister claimed that it is Arul Kanda who should apologise to the people.

"Stop talking nonsense... Arul should try to explain, truthfully, the 1MDB mess to the rakyat who simply can't accept whatever he has blabbered on so far.

"I believe a lot of apologies are due to the rakyat?" she added.

The Indonesian police seized the Equanimity on Feb 28 in a joint operation off the coast of Bali with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The yacht's registered owner Equanimity (Cayman) Ltd challenged the legality of the seizure, resulting in the April 17 Indonesian court verdict in their favour.

The court found that the seizure of Equanimity did not follow the procedures laid out by its laws on mutual legal assistance and that the FBI should have requested Indonesia’s assistance via the Ministry of Law and Human Rights instead of the Indonesian police.

It ordered the police to return Equanimity to its claimant Equanimity Ltd.

The superyacht is one of several assets that the US Department of Justice (DOJ) is seeking to seize as part of its 1MDB-related civil forfeiture suits.

The department claimed that businessperson Jho Low had used US$250 million allegedly misappropriated by 1MDB to purchase the vessel.

1MDB has denied that any of its funds are missing.

The Indonesian court ruled on a technicality of the yacht seizure. It did not in any way rule on the legality of the yacht ownership or purchase. For that, you have to refer to the US DOJ who have meticulously traced the money trails of the funds stolen from 1MDB and landing in various private bank accounts of the crooks such as Jho Low and MO1.

Oscar Kilo04:44 PM, 28 Apr 2018

Stupid CEO, don't twist the fact. Court ruling said unlawful doesn't meant the purchased of the yacht was lawful. Siphoned money from 1MDB was lawful. My foot.

Xiao Zhu04:42 AM, 25 Apr 2018

There is a difference between, whether the yacht was bought with 1MDB money, or , the Indonesian court's rejection of the seizure by the police, on technicality. The court's action does not say that yacht was not bought with 1MDB money. This kind of showmanship by Arul kanda, usually adopted by our govt "leaders", played out to target the simple village folks, who simply are too lazy to think, to see the trickery. They will go to the village to proclaim that Indonesian court has cleared 1MDB, just as Apandi did.

Sherlock04:15 AM, 25 Apr 2018

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Oscar Kilo04:44 PM, 28 Apr 2018

Stupid CEO, don't twist the fact. Court ruling said unlawful doesn't meant the purchased of the yacht was lawful. Siphoned money from 1MDB was lawful. My foot.

Xiao Zhu04:42 AM, 25 Apr 2018

Sherlock04:15 AM, 25 Apr 2018

The difference between Rafidah and Arul is this. Rafidah is a nationalist and she was in the upper echelon of the government for decades. She knows the in's and out's of how things are done by the government - correctly and also wrongly. The loyalty that was required of her was fulfilled as she did not wash dirty linen in public - well until recently when spring cleaning is very necessary. Arul is simply a mercenary hired to fight fire. He has no loyalty to the nation, the rakyat and the system. He is led by the nose ring leading to nothing but money lining his pockets. He is no nationalist. He is only putting up smoke screens for every question or justifications he babbles.

6th Generation Immigrant.02:07 AM, 25 Apr 2018

1MDB chief executive officer Arul Kanda Kandasamy Did not expect a more precise and defiance reply from our Iron Lady. Arul, how sweet was the slap? Jangan main main... you deserved what you got.

New Awakening01:26 AM, 25 Apr 2018

We hope this biadap convert would one day be arrested and jailed for concealing the truth. Malays may be patient but don't take them for fools.

Zaheed12:34 AM, 25 Apr 2018

Thieves are always the thieves. This is the elephant in the room and stinking smell is everywhere created by these liar and wicked people. I hope DOJ is able to nab them comprehensively and bring them to justice.

GreenDragon650309:45 PM, 24 Apr 2018

Arul, the whole world knows 1MDB laundering money all over the place and that legal actions and charges being preferred. All those charged are found guilty and sentenced. How, come Malaysia found nothing wrong at all. Just wait Arul, soon the entire case will come out in the open court in US and we will see who are the jokers. We the rakyat will clamour to press charges against you for being an accomplice in this mammoth scandal. You behaved more like an UMNO politician ok.

Anonymous_405605:57 PM, 24 Apr 2018

“1MDB has denied that any of its funds are missing”!! And therein lies the rub. With so much evidence globally that money has gone missing from 1MDB, the constant denial that anything is missing by the likes of Najib and Arul make little credible sense. The complete lack of transparency and the complete lack of any explanation of the global evidence of malfeasance related to 1MDB just makes that evidence all the more believable and Najib and Arul looking like liars and people with something to hide. As the adage goes, “eventually the truth will out”. And if I was a betting person (which I’m not) my money would be squarely on the global evidence as opposed to the vacuum of denial from Najib and Arul.

OxymoronicTendencies05:06 PM, 24 Apr 2018

Arul Kanda talks like a politician. What he is doing is going to backfire. Keep on talking and that is going to be good for the Rakyat to wake up to make sure BN loses and maybe badly...one of the main reason being having a BIG mouth. So don’t blame the opposition for spreading “fake” news.

Right and Wrong05:02 PM, 24 Apr 2018

Time for rakyat to know the truth, seek justice ... for money people can sell their soul or principle ...we will know who needs to apologise after 9th May

KenRyuu03:51 PM, 24 Apr 2018

Dei Arul motta, dont be a puppet of MO1. We want MO1 to be engaged in question and answer session over the 1MDB fiasco. Stop your monologue as it is aan unaccountable speech.

fairman03:26 PM, 24 Apr 2018

Arul is highly paid appointee handpicked for covering-up after having abettied his gang of thieves.

Anticonmen02:34 PM, 24 Apr 2018

Any wonder why the word 1MDB is a global profanity? “If you tell a lie often enough people will come to believe it as the truth. That seem to be the modus operandi for Arul Kanda. To keep up the spin that 1MDB did not lose any monies and everything is aboveboard. And he has become so adapt at it he is doing it better than the Umno ministers specially assigned to spin the multi billion ringgit scam. Arul is like the three monkeys. Deaf, dumb and blind to the facts. Five years of un-audited financial mess in 1MDB, the billions allegedly stolen right from under his nose and laundered globally, assets worth billions seized by the USDOJ from the 1MDB launders and the global infamy of the nation being condemn as the ‘worst case kleptocracy’ in US history. Arul is mum on all that matters to the people. But typical of his temerity he scraps the barrel to make his presence felt to his masters. He make capital from the Equaminity’s seizure that was dismissed on technical grounds. He has the audacity to rides on it as if 1MDB was vindicated from all its alleged crimes. He demands an apology from Rafidah God knows for what? It is disgusting the way he goes about and tramples on people's pent up frustrations on 1MDB. What good is demanding a public apology from Arul. It is meaningless coming from one far from reality, a man so full himself seemingly lost in his own lies. .

Anonymous 30002:23 PM, 24 Apr 2018

Arul is living in the clouds. Apologise for what? The Indonesian court's decision only state that the proper procedure to seize the yacht was not followed, not that the US has no cause to seize nor that the yacht is not implicated in the IMDB debacle. Why should anyone apologise about the fact that the US did not follow the proper procedure? Arul should stop harping on the tiny "victories" relating to IMDB because it only makes the huge "losses" more glaring and his silence on them DEAFENING!

hrrmph02:14 PM, 24 Apr 2018

These "...." are calling for those who criticise them and the unending line of "..........." that surface in many foreign countries' investigations to apologise? If we have to apologise to you, what will you need to do when all the probes and ongoing court cases come to the eventual and inevitable prounouncements and judgements?

behsaikong02:13 PM, 24 Apr 2018

When PH wins, that's when your trouble will unfold. Get ready for an emergency flight.

Anonymouss02:01 PM, 24 Apr 2018

You bloody idiots lose.so much of our country's monies and younwant an apology???Your bo ds.was 10.8percent done.by.that crook goldman sachs..and you want.an apolgy??Take the mo ey buy yacht pai ti g diamonds..chamapagne filem lucah..ise ot.to bribe stupid.voters...and ypu wt an apology???

No green pls01:58 PM, 24 Apr 2018

I hope you have bought your ticket to get out of Malaysia before 9 th May.

YellowIguana227601:30 PM, 24 Apr 2018

You bark at the wrong people, Arul. You should know better that talking less is your best option. Afterall you only have piles n piles of bullshits as defence. After Kak Pidah, l cant wait to hear what Rais Yatim will tell you for demanding that ludicrous apology. Or is it that you are just taking a cue from si macik gomok asking for apology from Nurul. Pelik betul...ramai juga peminat makan nasi kangkang ni...

ihaveadream01:29 PM, 24 Apr 2018