Pakatan govt did most of the work in US$300 million 1MDB funds retrieval, says Ambiga

Updated 6 years ago · Published on 15 Apr 2020 10:26PM · 7 Comments

PRIME Minister Muhyiddin Yassin should have credited the efforts made by the previous Pakatan Harapan (PH) government for the return of US$300 million (RM1.3 billion) of funds related to 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), said Ambiga Sreenevasan.

The Finance Ministry earlier today confirmed the receipt of the amount recovered from seizures, forfeitures and liquidation of assets related to 1MDB.

Muhyiddin thanked the US government, especially its embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz and Attorney-General Idrus Harun.

The prime minister added that with this recent tranche, a total of US$620 million of 1MDB-linked funds have been returned to Malaysia.

Ambiga, who was Malaysian Bar president and former chairman of Bersih 2.0, criticised Putrajaya for not acknowledging the efforts of the previous government in retrieving the money.

“Let’s face it. If it were not for PH, which included Muhyiddin Yassin, we may have never seen this money rightfully returned to the people,” she said in a tweet today.

“As I recall, BN (Barisan Nasional) refused to acknowledge this money was stolen and refused to cooperate as a result (awkward!) and it is only PH who relentlessly went after this money,” she added in another post.

Ambiga, who was a member of the Institutional Reforms Committee, also responded to another Twitter user who commended Tengku Zafrul and Idrus for their roles in the negotiation process.

“Most of the work or a lot of work was done by the previous finance minister and attorney-general as I understand it but please do correct me if I am wrong. If I am right, please be gracious about acknowledging it,” said Ambiga.

Her tweets were also directed at Muhyiddin, Tengku Zafrul and BN’s Twitter pages.

Muhyiddin was appointed prime minister on March 1 after a week-long political impasse that ended with his party Bersatu, joining forces with Umno, Islamist party PAS, a group of former PKR lawmakers and Sarawak’s GPS to form the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition.

Critics of PN then branded the coalition a back-door government after it had unseated Dr Mahathir’s PH as the ruling coalition.

Muhyiddin pulled Bersatu out of PH on February 24, leading to the collapse of the 22-month-old PH coalition.

Earlier today, corruption watchdog Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) said Muhyiddin and his government must prove its transparency in handling the RM1.3 billion.

C4 in a statement said PN was unelected, and consist of “the very people who were voted out for their dirty hands in the 1MDB scandal.”

“Given this disturbing reality we Malaysians are forced to live with, a serious trust deficit must not set in.

“Thus, it is imperative for Muhyiddin and his cabinet to show a maximum level of transparency, which is obligatory,” it said.

Former prime minister Najib Razak is facing three ongoing trials, including the 1MDB trial where he faces 25 charges for abuse of power and for laundering RM2.28 billion in 1MDB funds. His trial, which was to have proceeded this month, has been deferred due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Najib, who is also Pekan MP, is currently a backbencher in the PN government. – April 15, 2020.

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Comments

  • We know which Finance Minister and AG did all the work, because they regularly updated the people on their progress or lack of, and gave explanations as to why Najib wasnt behind bars yet. They insisted on the rule of law. But greedy thieves couldnt wait and stole what was not theirs to take - government by cheating.

    Posted 6 years ago by Malaysia New hope · Reply

  • Honor from thieves and those who support and supported them?
    Not likely.
    They will remain as dumb as they seem. Not a squeak is expected.

    Posted 6 years ago by Arul Inthirarajah · Reply

  • We humbly Thank Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng & AG of Malaysia Tommy Thomas WHO DID ALL THE PAPERWORK & EFFORT TO RECOVER THE 1MDB FUNDS FOR MSIA. Dont worry Ambiga CREATOR IS WATCHING ALL . Crooks CANNOT ESCAPE GOD HAVE ITS WAY TO GET THE THEIVES. What One SOW So Shall One REAP . Dear Ambiga U have Contributed ALL GOOD TO MSIA I SALUTE U.

    Posted 6 years ago by Lucky Boy · Reply

    • Lucky Boy, there ain't any god, If God exist then there won't be any Covid-19. You and me will also not be confined in the house now.

      Posted 6 years ago by Chee yee ng · Reply

  • Shame on you TSMY for not acknowledging the role the previous PH govt (of which you were part of) did most, if not, all the work. What did this new FM and AG do?

    Posted 6 years ago by Mike Mok · Reply

    • If Muhyiddin is really a PM for all as he so proclaimed to be then he should be magnanimous enough to acknowledge and give credit to the former AG and finance minister for a job well done. A PM for all should not be biased or hold a grudge towards the opposition parties and if he does then he is not a PM for all. If the PM want to be respected then he has to show the rakyat the humility in him.

      Posted 6 years ago by Elyse Gim · Reply

  • Hahaha, LGE should also go to jail now if not for the asshole AG

    Posted 6 years ago by Ty Tiko · Reply