BANGI, July 29 — Former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has urged the newly-appointed Cabinet to “act fast” in solving the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) issue as the eyes of the public are on them following the reshuffle.
Despite that, Abdullah ― popularly known by the moniker Pak Lah ― told the public that they should give the Cabinet and new Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi “a chance” before delivering any judgment.
“We have to wait and see. They have to act fast. If they wait longer, it will bring more trouble … Whatever good they had wanted as a result from the reshuffle, they must do it quick,” Abdullah replied after reporters asked about the suspect timing of the reshuffle amid the probe against 1MDB.
“Give them a chance to sort things out. If they still cannot, then that will be bad,” he added, after launching the Conference on Malaysian Islamic Economics and Finance here.
Abdullah also reminded the Cabinet that the public is waiting for something new from the new line-up, and hoped that the shake-up will lead Putrajaya towards a better tomorrow.
In a hastily-convened press conference in Putrajaya yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib confirmed rumours that Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin would be replaced by Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Muhyiddin had during the weekend urged Najib to satisfactorily explain the 1MDB controversy, claiming that he and other ministers were unaware of the “real facts”.
Muhyiddin also lost his position as Education Minister, with the portfolio split into two: Education and Higher Education, taken by Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid and Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh respectively.
Earlier today, Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Hamzah Zainuddin led the line-up of new ministers and deputy ministers in taking their oath of office and secrecy before the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah.
The new ministers then signed the instrument of appointment before Chief Justice Tun Arifin Zakaria and Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Dr Ali Hamsa.
The 1MDB probe by the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) were thrown into disarray yesterday after its chairman Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed and three other Barisan Nasional MPs were elected as minister and deputy ministers.
Despite that, its ice-chairman Dr Tan Seng Giaw said PAC will continue its investigation, explaining that the bipartisan PAC still meets the quorum as there are nine members left.
