ONE of the first things Pakatan Harapan must do should it win Putrajaya is obtain all Finance Ministry documents, said Daim Zainuddin.

The former finance minister, who has been travelling the country in support of the Dr Mahathir Mohamad-led PH in the 14th general election campaign period, said this is so that the money lost under the previous administration can be returned to the people.

“Once we win, the first thing that needs doing is to go to the Finance Ministry and take all the documents.

“Every single sen, whether it’s with Jho Low or otherwise, we will take back, to be returned to the people,” he told a crowd of 100 people in Shah Alam.

He was referring to Low Taek Jho, the businessman linked to the 1Malaysia Development Bhd scandal.

Caretaker prime minister Najib Razak and his family members, too, have been implicated in the scandal.

While there are numerous investigations into 1MDB ongoing in several countries, including three civil suits filed by the US Department of Justice, Singapore is the only nation to have prosecuted those linked to the state investor, chaired by Najib.

The DoJ has moved to seize another US$540 million (RM2.3 billion) worth of assets allegedly bought with money stolen from 1MDB, bringing the total said to be misappropriated to US$4.5 billion.

Daim, who was finance minister during Dr Mahathir’s tenure, said leaders who have not done anything wrong should not be afraid and “run away” if they lose in GE14.

“Only the thieves will run away,” he said, to cheers from the crowd.

He said he believes that PH leaders, led by Dr Mahathir, will be able to resolve the country’s financial problems once they take over Putrajaya.

“We will abolish the goods and services tax. All of you will no longer have to suffer, the prices of goods will go down. What’s important is to set everything right again. Our country is in a dire situation.”

Daim has been critical of GST, implemented in 2015 by the Najib administration.

He said should PH wrest Putrajaya, it will take just 18 months to turn the economy around, even without the tax. – May 7, 2018.