Let’s not take our defence of 1MDB to ridiculous levels
Are the defences put up worthy of consideration – or are these desperate measures due to desperate circumstances?
Since the seizure of assets and the filing of lawsuits by the US Department of Justice (DoJ) against individuals said to have stolen money from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), certain quarters have put forth arguments in defence of these individuals and the state investment fund.
Are the arguments worthy of consideration? Or are these desperate measures due to desperate circumstances?
Foreign interference of Malaysia’s affairs is now a favourite argument. Various reasons have been attributed to this: US jealousy; a domineering superpower with bad intentions: and the fact that Malaysia is a Muslim country.
This is just odd to me. When US President Barack Obama came a-calling more than four decades after Lyndon Johnson, when our PM played golf with Obama, and when our VVIPs made numerous trips to the US officially and “clandestinely”, how come there was no scream of foreign interference? To me it is simple; I wouldn’t say the US is for Malaysia or against Malaysia. I think they are indifferent, acting within their jurisdiction and authority.
The next argument was that the money purportedly stolen and invested in the US was from IPIC, not 1MDB. They used the current arbitration in London between 1MDB and IPIC over money paid to a “wrong” subsidiary in IPIC as the reason for this argument. I have one simple question: if indeed the ill-gotten money was from IPIC, may I know how Jho Low, Riza Aziz and “Malaysian Official 1” were deemed to have benefited from it? Are we saying those Arabs from IPIC stole the money and then handed it over to Jho Low and others to squander it? Those two Arabs may be stupid, but definitely not that stupid.
Finally, why argue whether the case filed by the US DoJ is civil or criminal? Why argue those named in the suits have yet to be found culpable? To me, this is splitting hairs and taking an argument to a ridiculous level. I believe most of us would have no problem appraising the DoJ’s action if only the sources of wealth of those high-profile individuals was made known; the origins and destinations of the flow of funds disclosed; the testimonies and whereabouts of Jho Low (and other related individuals) gathered and disclosed; the contents of the Auditor-General’s report declassified; and the dossiers in Bank Negara Malaysia and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission tabulated and disclosed.
I think the people of this country have been on a wild goose chase for far too long already. Please don’t ask us to peel the layers off more onions.
TK Chua is an FMT reader.
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