KUALA LUMPUR, July 23 ― The special government taskforce investigating 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) should immediately question Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak over his alleged involvement in the state-owned company, a PKR lawmaker said today.

PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli asked if Najib had already been interviewed for the 1MDB investigation as the Memorandum of Articles and Association Agreement (M&A) of the firm’s precursor, the Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA), states that the prime minister oversees all transactions, making him a crucial piece to the puzzle. 

“I am wondering whether or not the special taskforce has taken a statement and investigated Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak because he is the most important individual in this entire investigation?

“In accordance with Article 117 of the M&A, all investment decisions, debts and other issues of 1MDB must have the approval of the Prime Minister,” he said in a statement today.

The Pandan MP also pointed out that claims in the the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) that some RM2.6 billion had been funnelled into Najib’s accounts makes it necessary that the prime minister be interviewed by the taskforce.

The PKR lawmaker also questioned why Low Taek Jho also known as Jho Low, Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil and Datuk Suboh Mohd Yassin were allowed to leave the country despite their connection to 1MDB, when DAP lawmakers like Tony Pua, an avid critic of the debt-ridden company, was imposed a travel ban.

“I’m surprised with the report by The Sun that the authorities were still unable to locate three powerful 1MDB men that is Jho Low, Nik Faisal Nik Othman Kamil and Datuk Suboh Mohd Yassin to be investigated while opposition leader like YB Tony Pua was barred from leaving the country,” he said.

Rafizi was referring to a report by The Sun published this morning stating that Suboh and Nik Faisal were supposed to give a statement regarding various transactions related to a private banking account purportedly belonging to Najib.

Both men could not be located, however, and The Sun reported that one of them is believed to be in Indonesia while the other could not be traced.

According to The Sun, Jho Low is believed to be operating out of Hong Kong despite the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) saying recently that he would be interviewed  in his capacity as adviser to the Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA), the predecessor of 1MDB.

Low, Nik Faisal and Suboh, according to The Sun, are required to provide information on a former 1MDB subsidiary namely SRC International Sdn Bhd which is now a unit directly under the Finance Ministry.

Najib is currently facing allegations that US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) was funnelled into his personal bank accounts through 1MDB and other government agencies.

A special task force comprising the Attorney-General’s Chambers, the police, Bank Negara Malaysia and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has been formed to investigate the claims.

The taskforce has so far nabbed and remanded two people over their alleged links to the 1MDB scandal ― the managing director of Ihsan Perdana Sdn Bhd and a board member of a construction firm linked to SRC International.

The former, a 54-year-old man, was picked up on Tuesday at The Curve while the latter, a 39-year-old man, was arrested earlier the same day at Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2.

1MDB is also being investigated by the Auditor-General’s office and the PAC.

The PAC has set aside August 4 and 5 to question 1MDB CEO Arul Kanda Kandasamy and his predecessor, Datuk Shahrul Ibrahim Halmi as part of their investigation.