KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 26 ― A parliamentary watchdog will be calling on eight people, including former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, as it investigates tampering into the 2016 audit report on the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee, chairman of the bipartisan Public Accounts Committee (PAC), confirmed that Najib and his former principal private secretary Tan Sri Shukry Salleh, are among the top two to be questioned, New Straits Times reported today.

The other six on the list are former chief secretary to the government Tan Sri Ali Hamsa, former Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Tan Sri Dzulkifli Ahmad, former 1MDB president Arul Kanda Kandasamy, former auditor-general Tan Sri Ambrin Buang, current auditor-general Tan Sri Madinah Mohamad and the National Audit Department's former audit performance director Saadatul Nafisah Bashir Ahmad.

The eight are expected to be required to show up in PAC proceedings from December 4 onwards.

The previous PAC committee then chaired by Barisan Nasional's Rompin MP Datuk Seri Hasan Ariffin had previously received the audit report before clearing Najib of wrongdoing over 1MDB.

Yesterday, Madinah asserted in a statement that Najib and Shukry 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.

Madinah also said Ali, Shukry, Ambrin and Arul Kanda were present during some of the meetings where instructions toi expunge some of the information were made.

The MACC yesterday said it has started its own investigation into the 1MDB audit report alteration.