KUALA LUMPUR, May 9 — Lim Kit Siang asked today if the police will next classify all documents connected to 1 Malaysia Development Berhad’s (1MDB) RM42 billion debt pile under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) to protect the troubled state-owned investment firm.

This, he said, is following Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar’s announcement yesterday that the police will investigate those who exposed 1MDB’s land sale to Lembaga Tabung Haji (LTH) under the OSA.

The DAP adviser echoed concerns raised by former Attorney-General Tan Sri Abu Talib, who had asked this morning if the land deal even qualified as an OSA “secret” and if so, who was responsible for classifying it as secret.

“Will the IGP next say that all documents connected with the RM42 billion 1MDB scandal are protected by the OSA?” Lim, who is Gelang Patah MP asked in a statement.

“Police credibility and integrity will suffer another tumble under the present IGP if the police are seen as protecting  the perpetrators of the RM42 billion 1MDB scandal instead of siding with the public and national interest,” he added.

Earlier this week, reports of LTH’s controversial land investment hit media headlines after it was revealed that its purchase of 1.56 acres of land from 1MDB had netted the troubled firm a handsome profit.

According to reports, LTH paid RM188.5 million for the land, which 1MDB had purchased four years ago for just RM4.5 million at a rate of RM64 psf.

A blog called “The Benchmark” first raised speculation on the purchase when it published purported documents of the controversial transaction that critics now claim could be a bailout for 1MDB.

A confirmation by LTH on the purchase has since prompted bipartisan calls from lawmakers and private groups for the pilgrim funds board to explain the “high-risk” land buy from debt-laden 1MDB, which is currently under probe by the Auditor General’s Department and Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee.

Apart from Pakatan Rakyat leaders, those in Umno, including youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and Umno deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin have since spoken up, with the latter saying yesterday that Putrajaya must be more proactive in addressing the allegations surrounding 1MDB.

Speaking from Milan, Italy, yesterday, Muhyiddin also admitted that 1MDB was the biggest factor that led to Barisan Nasional’s (BN) loss in the Permatang Pauh poll on Thursday.

Agreeing, Lim said today that if the 1MDB -LTH controversy had been revealed earlier, BN could have even lost the Rompin by-election on Tuesday.