GE14 | While the politicians are busy preparing for the 14th general election(GE), 1MDB CEO Arul Kanda appears to be helping BN to whitewash the 1MDB scandal in BN’s "grey" seats.

It is understood that Arul Kanda has been going on a roadshow nationwide to tell the government’s side of the 1MDB story, and he made a stop at Ampangan, Seremban yesterday.

The event located at Gedong Lalang Hall, Ampangan, was organized by a pro-Umno NGO "Kelab N87" and attracted about 150.

The audience was mostly Malays and the elderly, some seen wearing BN uniforms.

Ampangan is one of the six state seats under the Seremban parliamentary seat. According to electoral data in the last general election, it comprised 61% Malays, 29% Chinese and 8% Indians.

In 2013, BN recaptured the seat from PKR by a razor-thin majority of 89 votes, and its candidate Abu Ubaidah Redza was appointed a state exco after the elections.

In other words, Ampangan could be considered BN "greyest" seat, or at best a marginal seat in the state.

However, after the redelineation exercise, the Election Commission moved voting district Medan Rahang (1,461 voters) to Ampangan, while Taman Rahang (2,023 voters) and Rahang Timor (1,321 voters) have been moved out from Ampangan to Rasah parliamentary seat, a seat next to Seremban.

The three voting districts were opposition-inclined in the last GE. After the process, Ampangan’s total voters has reduced by 1,883, making it an uphill battle for PKR to recapture the seat.

Nevertheless, BN is not taking any chances. The event, themed "a discussion of current affairs", not only featured Arul Kanda, but its poster also featured caretaker Menteri Besar Mohamad Hasan, Abu Ubaidah Redza and Kelab N87 member Kamari Kasan.

However, Mohamad Hasan did not show up, while Abu Ubaidah Redza attended the event but did not speak.

1MDB a ‘business problem’

When met by reporters before the talk, Arul Kanda claimed he was not campaigning for BN, but instead was explaining the 1MDB issue to the people from a business perspective.

During his speech, he described the 1MDB scandal as a "business problem", and stressed its funds had never disappeared.

Although 1MDB had been investigated by several countries, he stressed the company has not yet been found guilty of any crime.

He also claimed the public accounts committee (PAC), which also comprised opposition Mps such as William Leong and Tony Pua, did not find 1MDB guilty of any wrong.

He lamented the opposition was allegedly using the 1MDB issue for political gain.

He said he even symphathised with PAC vice chairman Tan Seng Giaw for being dropped from candidacy, claiming this was after the DAP MP defended caretaker Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak as not being involved in the case.

"1MDB has been bared. In Malaysia, never has a company been investigated so many times.

"Even the PAC, its number two person and DAP member Tan Seng Giaw has not said Najib has done anything wrong……this is not Arul Kanda saying it,” he told the audience.

"(But) he was dropped (from contesting in GE14)……you can see who the opposition works.”

He also joked although he was able to speak like a politician, he was only speaking the truth.

"Do I have a political style? When is nomination day? Sunday? Do I have a chance? Please let Najib know," he joked.

In GE14, PKR is expected to field Mohamad Rafie Ab Malek, who lost in 2004 with a 4,065 majority, while PAS is slated to field Mustaffa Daharun in a three-cornered fight.

The US Department of Justice had launched a series of forfeiture suits to seize assets it claimed had been procured using funds it claims had been siphoned from 1MDB, and has received a stay on the suits because of its ongoing money laundering probe.

Meanwhile, a Singapore banker has been jailed following the island nation’s money laundering investigations.