A MOTION to reopen 1Malaysia Development Bhd investigations, conducted by the auditor-general and Public Accounts Committee (PAC), will be tabled by Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng, according to today’s Order Paper.

The motion said all findings will be made available to the public.

Item No. 5 in the order of business said: “The Dewan Rakyat resolves that the auditor-general and PAC conduct again detailed investigations into the embezzlement of monies and the scandal with regard to 1MDB and its related companies, in order to restore the dignity of the Dewan Rakyat, and that all related information should be made public.”

If the motion is passed in the Dewan Rakyat today, it would be the second time that PAC and the auditor-general investigate the scandal.

The first PAC probe, which began in 2015, was completed in February, and its report was published in April.

It said former prime minister Najib Razak did not commit any offences in relation to 1MDB, and attributed many of the state investor’s failings to its former board of directors led by CEO Shahrol Azrai Ibrahim.

Although 1MDB was chaired by Najib, who also held the finance minister’s portfolio, PAC was unable to interview him.

Damansara MP Tony Pua, a former PAC member, in March said the committee never got the chance to question Najib after chairman Nur Jazlan Mohamed (BN-Pulai) was replaced by Hasan Arifin (BN-Rompin).

He said PAC had sought to question Najib after being told by former Treasury secretary-general Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah that the former prime minister was responsible for all of 1MDB’s major decisions.

“But, the BN members of PAC blocked all such attempts, with the excuse that he was not involved or irrelevant to the investigations.”

To assist PAC in its probe then, the auditor-general was tasked with auditing 1MDB in 2015, using available financial statements from 2010 to 2014.

The report prepared by former auditor-general Ambrin Buang was given to PAC on March 4, 2016, but was classified under the Officials Secrets Act.

It remained classified until Pakatan Harapan took over Putrajaya in the May 9 general election. Under the new administration, the report was declassified and released on May 15.

It concluded that 1MDB had poor corporate practices and controls, and many of the CEO’s decisions were made haphazardly. Among them were:

– 2009-2015: Key decisions on investments with high values were made by the 1MDB board without proper discussions or complete analysis;

– Risky investment decisions were made very quickly, where the 1MDB chairman had told PAC on January 19, 2016, that discussions were initiated before approval was given via a resolution; and,

– The 1MDB management, led by Shahrol, had given incomplete information to the board before decisions were made. The management also took action without the board’s approval. – August 15, 2018.