Azeez, who is LTH chairman, explained that Ismee, who is also a 1MDB director, had abstained from attending the meetings surrounding the pilgrim fund’s RM188.5 million land buy in the Tun Razak Exchange (TRX). The LTH chairman revealed that all discussions on the deal were chaired by deputy CEO Datuk Johan Abdullah, who is also the chairman of 1MDB’s subsidiary Edra Global Energy Bhd. “Ismee was never there. He abstained from all discussions and they were handled by Datuk Johan Abdullah,” Azeez told reporters at LTH’s headquarters here. Azeez explained that the deal was proposed by 1MDB to LTH unit TH Properties Sdn Bhd in April 2013, and had gone through LTH’s management and investment panel before it was unanimously approved by the board of directors. Despite Johan’s position in the 1MDB subsidiary, Azeez said there is no conflict of interest as he is not involved with any decision making in 1MDB. Similarly, LTH’s investment panel member Tan Sri Abdul Samad Alias is only an independent adviser for 1MDB with no decision making capacity, Azeez said. Another member of LTH’s board member, Tan Sri Dr Mohd Irwan Siregar Abdullah is also an independent adviser for 1MDB. “I see them trying to politicise this issue, because LTH is one thing that can sway the Malays. We have over eight million depositors,” suggested Azeez, who is also Umno’s Baling MP. Other Umno members in LTH’s board are Tan Sri Badruddin Amiruddin (Umno Permanent Chairman), Tan Sri Mohamad Aziz (Umno Deputy Permanent Chairman) and Datuk Rosni Sohar (Umno Supreme Council member). LTH announced today that it will sell its TRX land plot by next week following the advice of Prime Minister and Umno President Datuk Seri Najib Razak. The TRX, planned as a 70-acre financial centre within the capital, is one of two high-profile property projects in 1MDB’s portfolio.