PUTRAJAYA: The call for the recovery of 1 Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) funds from Pakatan Harapan leaders who were formerly part of the Umno leadership, is illogical as such funds did not enter their personal accounts.
Stating this yesterday, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng added that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) active efforts in this connection, did not involve the personal accounts of the leaders.
He was responding to reports that Gerakan president Datuk Dr Dominic Lau Hoe Chai had called for Lim to recover 1MDB funds by starting with Home Affairs Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir and Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.
“I don’t know why funds have to be recovered from Mukhriz Mahathir and Muhyiddin Yassin. Did they receive the money? Did the funds enter their personal accounts or not?” he questioned, going on to say “it is not that I don’t want to answer but this (call) is not logical at all as the funds did not enter their accounts, so why direct this to them?”.
Speaking to reporters after the 2020 Budget Consultation meeting here today, Lim queried why Lau had not called for the return of funds which had entered the account of former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
He also said the 41 individuals and entities recently named in the MACC’s civil forfeiture suit for the recovery of 1MDB funds, were on an initial list, with many more names yet to be announced, adding that just because other names had not been included in the first list, this did not mean they would escape.
On another matter in which he had been criticised over a Chinese calligraphy print hung on the wall in his office, Lim said such fault-finding constituted racial games which were the work of irresponsible parties.
Lim explained that the calligraphy had been put on display in conjunction with the Chinese New Year celebrations in February. — Bernama