KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 26 ― Lim Guan Eng today asserted that Malaysians have a right to know the truth about what really transpired in the theft of billions of dollars from sovereign investment fund 1MDB.

The finance minister was asked to comment on whether or not it was appropriate for the executive to instruct Auditor-General Tan Sri Madinah Mohamad to issue a press statement confirming alterations to the original 2016 audit report of 1MDB, which she said was made at the behest of Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his former aide.

"I think if you are talking about disclosing the truth, the people have the right to know the truth,” Lim told reporters in Parliament, referring to remarks by Najib's lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah who claimed that Madinah's revelations were prejudicial to the former prime minister who has been charged but yet to be tried for his alleged crimes in connection to the sovereign investment fund.

Lim also expressed surprise that Umno-owned Malay daily Utusan Malaysia broke the news on the allegation two days before Madinah released her statement.

"I was shocked how Utusan managed to find out before she issued her press statement,” he said

He then suggested that reporters find out how Utusan learnt about the matter before any other news organisation.

Madinah asserted in a statement yesterday that Najib and his former principal private secretary Tan Sri Shukry Salleh had ordered the removal of certain information from the original 1MDB audit report.

The information that were deleted from the 2016 audit report included the presence of fugitive Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low, in a 1MDB board meeting, and 1MDB's financial status.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) said it is investigating the 1MDB audit report alteration.

Public Accounts Committee chairman Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee said earlier today that the parliamentary panel will be calling Najib, Shukry, former chief secretary to the government Tan Sri Ali Hamsa, former MACC chief Tan Sri Dzulkifli Ahmad, former 1MDB president Arul Kanda Kandasamy, former auditor-general Tan Sri Ambrin Buang, the National Audit Department's former audit performance director Saadatul Nafisah Bashir Ahmad, and Madinah for questioning.