No need to debate, wait for 1MDB audit report, Khairy tells Dr M

Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin today said a debate between Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his predecessor, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, would be pointless because the prime minister had already answered the allegations in his blog yesterday. As for the controversy surrounding debt-laden 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), he said all parties, including the former prime minister, should wait for the National Audit Department to complete its investigations before commenting. "There is no need for a debate. I feel the prime minister has already given his answers. "As for the 1MDB issue, we (Umno Youth) are also waiting for the outcome of the audit. "So lets just wait until they are done with it," he told reporters in Putrajaya. Yesterday, MCA secretary-general Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan also disagreed with Dr Mahathir regarding a debate with Najib, saying the spat between the two should be solved in a more "amicable" way. Ong also warned that the spat would not only affect Barisan Nasional's image, but also the government's image as a whole. Two days ago, Dr Mahathir reportedly said he was open to a debate with Najib over the 1MDB issue. He has in recent months voiced dissatisfaction over the controversial fund and had even said Najib should not be forgiven for losing RM42 billion through the state investment vehicle. Khairy, who is also the youth and sports minister, today denied rumours Umno Supreme Council members had given Najib a specific time frame to resolve the 1MDB issue. "There no time frame. All of us agreed on the need to resolve this matter. "The faster the better. Our talks were more on finding ways to settle the problems," he said. On Najib's lengthy reply in his blog, www.najibrazak.com, to answer 13 allegations yesterday, Khairy said he hoped the people would be satisfied by the answers given and that the same questions would not be brought up again. "I view this as a proactive measure taken by the prime minister, by giving a written replies on issues raised by various parties in the past. "I wish those who had asked the questions will be satisfied. "How many times does the PM need to answer the same question, for example, the official jet and murder of Mongolian woman Altantuya Shaariibuu? I feel the PM has given a clear answer," he said. In the FAQ section of his blog, Najib had listed 13 issues and claims hurled at him and his administration, from the murder of Altantuya to the use of government jets and Barisan Nasional winning the next general election. The Umno president also responded to allegations surrounding 1MDB, by imploring his critics to wait for the results of the auditor-general’s investigation. Last month, Dr Mahathir had listed down in a blog posting various allegations against Najib, adding that none had been answered adequately. – May 18, 2015.