KUALA LUMPUR, April 17 — The government must be transparent and inform the public how the recently recovered US$300 million (RM1.3 billion) from the US government, allegedly misappropriated from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), will be used, says Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan. 

Quoted in a report by The Malaysian Insight, Ambiga highlighted the need for the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government to alleviate the doubts and concerns of civil society groups that have since voiced their concerns after the funds were returned to a government consisting of political parties that, in the past, have denounced wrongdoings by 1MDB, namely PAS and Umno. 

“It is important this arrangement be made known to the people and that they are assured the monies will be safely administered according to the trust,” the lawyer-activist was quoted as saying in the report. 

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Ambiga revealed that she learnt of a trust account and a trust arrangement introduced by the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government for 1MDB-related funds, the contents of which were supposed to be channelled back to the government sometime in February this year but were delayed in anticipation of more funds. 

“If my information is not accurate, then all the more why we should be told exactly what is going to happen with the money,” she said. 

Ambiga also slammed Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin for not crediting the PH government for its efforts taken to retrieve the siphoned cash, in response to the latter’s statement on Wednesday thanking the current finance minister and attorney general, the US government and its embassy here for the repatriated funds. 

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“I am disappointed PN was taking credit for work done by PH. PN would have earned more respect if they played fair in giving credit where it is due. 

“I’m sure they (PN) also did some work, but clearly the bulk of the work was done by the PH government.

“It may not seem to be an important point but for PN, which is trying to earn the acceptance of the people, given the manner they came into federal power, it is important they state the facts honestly and fairly, and give credit where credit is due.

“We do not want to be in a position of having to fact-check everything they say,” she was quoted saying in the report. 

Ambiga stressed how the people and civil society have held PH accountable for their actions in the past when it was in power and should continue to do so with the PN administration. 

The prominent lawyer also commented on the recent reshuffling of those in top positions of government linked companies (GLCs), calling such moves reminiscent of the ‘dark days’ of abuses of power and money politics associated with the former Barisan Nasional government.

“These political moves during the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent MCO (movement control order), are in my view unseemly.

“They cannot, for one minute, believe they do not have to account to the people during this period, or any other time, for that matter,” she said. 

Ambiga also pointed out that despite most Malaysians being prepared to show restraint and allow the prime minister to handle the current Covid-19 crisis, PN should not take things for granted and expect perpetual silence if such political manoeuvrings keep on happening without proper justifications. 

“It does not mean the government owes no responsibility to the people — on accountability and good governance — while this crisis persists,” Ambiga said. 

In practising what she preached, Ambiga then gave credit to Muhyiddin for his handling of the pandemic, calling the decision to put Health Ministry Director-General Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah at the forefront of communicating the crisis to the people a masterstroke.

She said this was a commendable move as Dr Noor Hisham has evidently managed to allay the fears of the people by providing them accurate information backed by science and facts.