DAP man causes stir at Umno event with 1MDB questions

Looi Sue-Chern Looi Sue-Chern Updated 8 years ago · Published on 4 Oct 2017 8:10AM · 6 Comments

DAP member Zaidi Ahmad last night asked the Umno information chief to provide answers on the misappropriation of billions of dollars from 1MDB but was rebuffed. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, October 4, 2017.

FORMER air force major and DAP member Zaidi Ahmad caused a stir at an Umno-organised dialogue in Balik Pulau, Penang, last night when he challenged Umno information chief Annuar Musa to explain the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) controversy.

The former fighter jet pilot now works for the opposition-controlled Penang government as an information officer.

During a question-and-answer session, Zaidi took to the microphone and introduced himself, before detailing the civil suits alleging the misappropriation of billions of dollars from 1MDB. He then asked Annuar for an explanation.

Despite jeers and murmurs of surprise and disapproval around the anti-DAP crowd last night, organisers allowed Zaidi to proceed with his question.

In response, Annuar said he was willing to answer but the problem was people who did not like the government would not accept his explanations.

“I think many will agree with me, including Zaidi, that those who don’t like the government will not accept my answers even if they themselves had asked me to explain.

“This is the problem with this country. Do we want the government that does much for the people to dance to the tune of its detractors?” he asked, as some members of the crowd nodded in agreement.

Annuar said after the 1MDB issue surfaced, the government took the responsible approach, which was to tackle the problems in the company which had amassed huge debts.

He said Prime Minister Najib Razak also ordered answers on 1MDB to be provided in the Dewan Rakyat, and for the auditor-general and PAC to investigate.

“The PAC report was also tabled in the house for discussion. DAP’s Dr Tan Seng Giaw, the PAC vice-chairman, even said last year that Najib should not be held accountable for the scandals surrounding 1MDB, as the latter was only the advisory board chairman.”

Annuar said the government took note of the PAC report on the problems surrounding 1MDB and took the next step to tackle the issues and the company’s debts through a rationalisation exercise.

“The most important and responsible thing to do for the government was to solve the problems. Not like the opposition that wants to see blood, to use the issue to make the people angry. See something wrong, take down (the government).

“When there is something wrong, it is more important to fix the problem, not politicising it. If you want to politicise it, do it with knowledge.”

Annuar also lashed out at DAP, saying that it was not the only party that cared about misappropriations and corruption. 

“Nonsense. To me, DAP is the most corrupt. Every day the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission makes arrests, puts people in the orange MACC lock-up T-shirts to conduct probes to combat graft. MACC is under which government? The BN government.”

After taking on Zaidi, Annuar answered a Bersatu life member’s question on whether the government planned to recover any of the seized assets bought using money allegedly stolen from 1MDB.

“Are those our assets in the first place? Do the jet and paintings belong to 1MDB? Surely as a business, 1MDB keeps record of its assets. Others merely claim that the assets belong to us when they don’t. Why do we bother?

“And 1MDB does business overseas. If it broke laws in that foreign country, it answers according to the laws of that country. If you can understand that, surely you wouldn’t be a life member (of Bersatu),” he told the man, Mohd Amin Abdul Kader.

The US Department of Justice has launched a criminal investigation into funds allegedly stolen from 1MDB, Najib’s brainchild. It had filed three civil suits in the past two years to forfeit more than US$1 billion (RM4.3 billion) in real estate and other assets allegedly bought with 1MDB funds.

Annuar in a press conference after the dialogue said he was happy that representatives from DAP and Bersatu also attended the event and posed questions, praising them for having the courage to walk into an Umno forum.

“They were given the freedom to ask questions. I also hope they were free to accept my explanations. This is the reason we have this programme, so we can engage in dialogue,” he said, adding that the questions they posed were “recycled”.

“For the government and Umno, we have already moved far forward, but such questions are still being raised.” – October 4, 2017.  

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Comments

  • Ridiculous! What he said was ...... analogous ..... an insider defraud a company ..... but the company can recover the stolen money through its future earnings .... so no loss .... so need not catch the insider and need not reclaim the money from the insider. Ask the Securities Commission and the police whether that is right?? ........ and ...... the assets bought with the stolen money by the insider belong to the insider ????? ........ he can only fool the uneducated in UMNO ..... but not anyone else ....

    Posted 8 years ago by Malaysian First · Reply

  • Answered by full of craps! Having failed to answer by admitting that all of the accusations are done overseas and not related to Malaysia in any way is just true lies. Financial crime are bordeess! Why closing blind eyes when the culprits are robbing in day light! Where is the person's accused integrity?? Other countries are taking court and legal actions for those involvedd in this scandal. Even Singapore has done so. Punishing those misbehaviors and wrong doings. No more dignity! No more shame! Sweeping everything under the carpet for one person's sake.

    Posted 8 years ago by Jimmy Jimmy · Reply

  • What is the role of an advisory chairman? Why was the post given to the most powerful man in the country? Has the chairman neglected his duty to provide proper advice or has the chairman signed off any investment which resulted to the current mess?

    Get Tony Pua to ask the questions and Annuar Musa will be fried beyond recognition.

    Posted 8 years ago by Butter Scotch · Reply

  • Annuar's statements sound like a non-answer if you ask me! Syabas, Zaidi, for raising the 1MDB issue with the UMNO members so that they are aware that this problem is not going away even if they close their eyes and brains, like Annuar.

    Posted 8 years ago by Insightful Malaysian · Reply

  • Anuar, if you want to play Taichi, learn from Jet Lee, or else you were so embarrassed by you half-past six answer.

    Posted 8 years ago by Awang Top · Reply

  • Zaidi Ahmad, you may have the balls but you are fool hardy. What do you expect in a congregations of dimwits. Looking for answer to the scandalous 1MDB in the den of corrupted criminals is like holding the bulls by the horn with your balls. Fair enough if it is some kind of actions to justify your keeps but seeking the buffon with no brain to answer is just ridiculing our ownselves. Save the breath and goes into the heartland of the rural folk and inform the mak chik and pa chik and all the ill doings. It will be a much better yield and kinda of satisfying returns.

    Posted 8 years ago by Lee Lee · Reply