KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 8 — The federal government has noted the urgings of the Conference of Malay Rulers for it to swiftly resolve the controversy over 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today.
The deputy prime minister added that the actions suggested by the Malay Rulers were already being taken.
“All decrees by the Conference of Malay Rulers are carefully considered and the government has taken proactive steps to handle the issue raised.
“The public’s prosperity and the supremacy of the law certainly must be given priority in whatever decisions and statements made by all parties,” Ahmad Zahid said in a statement today.
He added that Putrajaya also heeded the rulers’ concern that improper handling of the 1MDB investigations could affect the country as a whole, saying that the government was taking steps to mitigate any fallout.
These included steps to ensure the stability of the economy, the recovery of the ringgit, peaceful communal ties, and to lower the cost of living.
Ahmad Zahid said, however, that it was improper to demand investigations to be expedited or delayed, as these must adhere to due process as prescribed under the rule of law.
He stressed that Putrajaya will ensure that all information related to the investigation will be handled openly and fairly.
“The legal system as enshrined in the Federal Constitution is clear, and if any parties are found guilty, then legal action will be taken,” he continued.
He then expressed hope that no parties will complicate the situation by issuing statements that suggest Putrajaya was not putting any effort into resolving the issues that he said were being played up.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by the Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal, Datuk Seri Syed Danial Syed Ahmad, the Malay Rulers said that investigations into 1MDB must be made public in order to show that nothing was being hidden in the probe on the state-owned investment firm.
Improper handling of the 1MDB controversy and related investigations could also affect the economy and even threaten national security, the rulers said.
This is the first time the Conference of Malay Rulers has issued a public statement on the 1MDB controversy that has gained international attention.
In March, Najib directed the PAC and the Auditor-General to investigate 1MDB following allegations of mismanagement and impropriety linked to its RM42 billion in debt.
It was later announced that a special taskforce comprising the Attorney-General’s Chambers, the Royal Malaysia Police, Bank Negara Malaysia, and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission was also investigating the firm.
