Advertisement

1MDB probe must not be hindered, says Umno Youth

The investigations into 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) must go on and should not be hindered in any way, Umno Youth said today, amid criticism that yesterday's Cabinet reshuffle was announced to stymie the probe into the debt-laden state investment arm. The Umno wing said that while it respected Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's prerogative to drop several ministers from the Cabinet, the people still needed to learn the truth about the scandals surrounding 1MDB. "Umno Youth hopes that the issues eroding the people's faith, like 1MDB, continue to be investigated," it said in a statement today. "The people need to know the truth about these issues, through the investigation carried out by the special task force, the National Audit Department and the Public Accounts Committee (PAC)." Umno Youth said the authorities should be given time and freedom to carry out their probe, without any restrictions or provocation from any quarters. It added that it still respected Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal as the deputy president and vice-president of the party respectively, even though Najib had stripped them of their Cabinet posts. Umno Youth said it hoped the Cabinet reshuffle would strengthen the government and restore the people's faith. "Umno Youth hopes that the Cabinet reshuffle will not trigger any quarters to create a split in the party," it added. Yesterday, Najib purged his Cabinet of dissidents and filled the ranks with his loyalists, including Sabah State Speaker Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak. Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has replaced Muhyiddin as the deputy prime minister, while Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid is the new Education Minister. Second Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh now heads the new portfolio of Higher Education. Muhyiddin's removal after his criticism of Putrajaya's handling of 1MDB comes at the height of a probe into allegations that funds from 1MDB-linked entities were channeled into the prime minister's personal bank accounts. Meanwhile, the appointment of four PAC members, including its chairman, Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed, into the Cabinet has placed the committee in limbo, just one week before it is to question 1MDB group president and executive director Arul Kanda Kandasamy and former 1MDB chief executive Datuk Shahrol Halmi. Nur Jazlan said PAC's hearing must be frozen until new members are appointed when the Parliament reconvenes in October, PAC deputy chairman Dr Tan Seng Giaw has insisted the hearing will go on. – July 29, 2015.