THE new government should be given the chance to dig into the truth behind the 1Malaysian Development Bhd (1MDB) issue for the benefit of everyone, said Umno’s Ketereh MP Annuar Musa.

“This motion should be supported as we are all here to find the truth. We cannot protect anyone,” said the Umno secretary-general during the debate for Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee and the auditor-general to reopen the 1MDB investigation.

“God has fated that this matter to be reopened again and voters are tired of listening to this. There should be closure to this,” said Annuar.

Earlier, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng had tabled a motion to task PAC and the AG to reinvestigate the 1MDB scandal as the earlier investigations were flawed.

Annuar also told the Pakatan Harapan government not to delay the investigation.

“I support this motion. Please hasten it.

“And to PAC, open up the proceedings and let Malaysians decide. We should not see what has happened today where PAC members are arguing after the report was already tabled.”

During the debate, former PAC chairman Hasan Arifin (Rompin-BN) and former PAC member Tony Pua (Damansara-PH) had traded jibes over a last-minute omission from the final PAC Report which was released on April 7, 2016.

“PAC is responsible to Parliament and the issues should have been discussed in the last Parliament (13th). It’s not nice to fight over the different terms,” said Annuar.

Annuar also asked the new PAC, which will be headed by Ronald Kiandee (Beluran-BN), to call everyone necessary and to discharge their duties with integrity.

“Call anyone necessary so that we all can have a closure to this issue, as it is national interest,” said Annuar, who added that to date former prime minister Najib Razak has not been charged for any crime related to 1MDB.

The previous PAC, which was headed by Hasan, was alleged to have colluded with the BN administration to cover up the scandal by omitting a letter from Bank Negara Malaysia from the final report.

PAC’s final report also disappointed many as it did not refer to the multiple foreign investigations, question Najib and businessman Low Taek Jho or cite anyone for the scandal. – August 16, 2018.