KUALA LUMPUR, July 29 ― The sudden announcement of a Cabinet reshuffle and the removal of Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail will be seen by the public as an attempt to influence investigations into the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal, with the truth unlikely to “ever be known”, analysts have said.

Centre for Policy Initiatives director Dr Lim Teck Ghee said the Cabinet reshuffle is clearly an attempt to remove those who have been questioning Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s handling of the 1MDB fiasco and to replace them with loyalists.

“It will not do much in terms of significantly affecting the course of the probe but it should make it easier for those pushed out such as the former deputy prime minister Muhyiddin to now speak out candidly and without needing to adhere to the party line.

“In terms of the public perception, it will be seen as another desperate attempt by the prime minister to influence or disrupt what should be an impartial and independent probe,” he told Malay Mail Online.

Political analyst Khoo Kay Peng said the investigations will like go through a “controlled” process with a “predictable outcome”.

“It is going on a damage control mode. Unlikely truth will ever be known,” he said.

Khoo added that it was “a shame” that Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed did not commit to see through his role as the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chief.

Nur Jazlan was leading PAC investigations into the 1MDB scandal prior to the sudden appointment as deputy home minister.

Prior to the Cabinet reshuffle announced yesterday, the PAC had scheduled August 4 and 5 to question 1MDB chief executive Arul Kanda Kandasamy and his predecessor, Datuk Shahrul Ibrahim Halmi as part of their investigation into the state-owned firm’s dealings.

The committee was also expected to recall 1MDB’s then-auditors Deloitte, KPMG and Ernst & Young along with several other 1MDB executives and directors of the company’s subsidiaries for further questioning in September to answer discrepancies raised by the Auditor-General’s interim report on the firm.

Nur Jazlan has confirmed that PAC investigations into 1MDB will have to be halted until the next Parliament session to appoint a new chief.

He said three other PAC members who have been appointed as deputy ministers will also have to resign from the Parliamentary committee.

Lim said Nur Jazlan should have resigned from PAC before agreeing to his new appointment.

“Surely he must be aware that the national interest is more important than personal interest at this vital stage; and that the public had high hopes that the PAC which he headed would provide an impartial and independent inquiry,” he said.

Political analyst Datuk Seri Dr Syed Arabi Syed Abdullah Idid predicts that the final report on 1MDB will be much delayed from the expected end of the year.

“The whole process is not there, the PAC members are expected to resign,” he said.

On the timing of the Cabinet reshuffle, Syed Arabi said it was the prime minister's prerogative to appoint whomever into Cabinet and with Najib being at the centre of the 1MDB investigations, it is expected that he would want loyal ministers to fully support him.

“A few months ago, he said if anyone disagreed with him, they will have to leave the Cabinet,” he said.