Media barred from PAC meet on A-G’s 1MDB report

KUALA LUMPUR - The media have been denied entry to Parliament, where Auditor-General's (A-G) final report on 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) is being tabled before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) today.

The only media allowed entry was state broadcaster RTM, a security guard told reporters.

Today's meeting was supposed to be held last week, but it was postponed after several members of PAC were not in the country and had other important commitments.

The government audit on 1MDB was ordered by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak earlier last year, as the government-owned firm had incurred RM42 billion in debts in just six years.

1MDB was formed in 2009 to drive up federal investments. It ventured into real estate, energy and various other investments overseas.

DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang yesterday questioned the reasons behind the postponement of the PAC meeting last week, saying if it was to buy time to suppress the A-G’s final audit report on 1MDB.

He said if it was true, this showed a clear violation of parliamentary powers and jurisdiction by the executive branch of the government.

Lim was responding to a news item that the final audit report had been classified under the Official Secrets Act 1972 and PAC members were not be allowed to take home the 300-page document set to be tabled today.

A-G Tan Sri Ambrin Buang and PAC chairman Datuk Hasan Arifin have yet to confirm nor deny this latest development.