THE federal government has no part in the freezing of opposition party accounts which received money from 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), said Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

She said the ongoing probe by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is independent.

“There are no political hands involved. The investigation into the 1MDB scandal is independent.

“But the government wants all the money that was misused returned to the rakyat,” she said at the Sabah Pakatan Harapan Hari Raya celebration in Tawau, today.

Dr Wan Azizah stood in for her husband PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim at the event as he is recovering from a shoulder and neck injury since his return from a visit to Turkey on June 23.

Also present at the event were Sabah PH chairman cum Tawau MP Christina Liew, Sabah PKR deputy chief Mustapha Sakmut and Inanam assemblyman Kenny Chua.

The probe into 1MDB has extended into Umno as graft investigators follow the money trail to political parties that have allegedly received stolen funds.

MACC had frozen about 900 bank accounts including that of Umno headquarters, Selangor Umno and Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), among others, to facilitate investigations.

Newly-elected Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi will also have to face MACC officers tomorrow, where he is expected to answer questions on the alleged use of funds from his own charitable foundation to settle his credit card bills.

The MACC is also expected to ask Zahid questions regarding the 1MDB scandal.

Meanwhile, Dr Wan Azizah said the government will do what it can to serve for the best interest of the 11-year-old who had been taken in by a 41-year-old man as his third wife in Kelantan.

“I will call the girl tomorrow along with the Welfare Department, the shariah court and all other agencies that could do something on the case.

“We want to discuss and make sure the child’s best interests are protected. This is important and the government must do what it can to protect the rights of a child,” she said.

News of the supposed marriage had also sparked international condemnation from various pressure groups including Unicef, which had described the marriage as “shocking and unacceptable.” – July 1, 2018.