KUALA LUMPUR, May 6 — 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) president and chief executive officer Arul Kanda Kandasamy is seeking advice from his lawyers on the best ways to clear his name following a malicious article published about him in a news portal.
He said his lawyers were looking into the writer’s article.
“Please note, in the event there is further action on this matter, it will be in my personal capacity and does not involve 1MDB or the government of Malaysia,” he said in a statement here today.
In an article titled “Arul Kanda and the lies of 1MDB”, published in Malaysiakini on May 4, P. Gunasegaram alleged that Arul Kanda’s achievements at 1MDB were preposterous claims.
Arul Kanda said as a patriotic Malaysian, it was his duty and responsibility to take on a job that no one wanted, and to fix the problems in 1MDB.
The past 36 months since he took over had been sheer hard work, to repair and restore the company to a stable footing as the problems had built up over 5 years and there were humongous issues to resolve, he said.
“For him (the writer) to question my hard work in such malicious terms is not only hurtful, but beyond the pale, with him making personal attacks, unsubstantiated allegations, false accusations and wrong assertions,” Arul Kanda said.
“I have had to make personal sacrifices but it has been worth it — the company is now stable, debts have been reduced from RM50 billion to RM 31 billion, and all Malaysians can see the success of the TRX project, with international investors such as HSBC and Prudential rushing to set up their headquarters. As a patriotic and responsible Malaysian, I am proud of this,” he added.
Arul Kanda said as a public figure, he always open to constructive criticism.
“I also appreciate there is always room for improvement. However, there is no need to make personal attacks and potentially defamatory statements to get your point across,” he said. — Bernama
