Tuesday 6 December 2016

Najib: Malaysian authorities have led the way in 1MDB probe

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 15): Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the issue surrounding 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) has been politicised by certain elements, adding that Malaysian authorities have led the way in investigations into the troubled state fund.

  

In an interview with Nikkei Asian Review, Najib pointed out that he was the first to instruct Malaysian authorities to investigate the company.
"Malaysian authorities have actually led the way in investigations into 1MDB. It was I who first instructed multiple authorities in Malaysia to conduct investigations," he said in a written response to the publication.
Najib said 1MDB has been subjected to investigations by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, the auditor-general, the police and the Public Accounts Committee.
He added it has been always made clear that full cooperation should be extended to any lawful investigation, and said the law will be enforced without exception if any wrongdoing is proven.
"However, it is important to note that this has become a highly politicised matter, with certain elements within Malaysia attempting to exploit this for their own personal political benefit, and feeding foreign authorities with at times false or incomplete information.
"Those outside Malaysia cannot always appreciate these complexities, but it is something they should bear in mind to avoid becoming entangled in what has become a domestic political matter," he said.
Najib also commented on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, saying it would be premature to make any conclusions on the deal until US President-elect Donald Trump assumes office.
"In its current guise, the TPP agreement cannot come into force without the US's involvement. As such, it is not a question of whether or not Malaysia — or any other country for that matter — could still proceed with its ratification," said Najib.
In any case, he said, Malaysia remains committed to strengthening its economic ties with the US and other countries involved.
While the country has been strengthening ties with China in recent years, Malaysia's relationship with any one country does not come at the expense of its relationship with another, said Najib.
The government, he said, places great importance on Malaysia's relationship with the US.
"Indeed, this is reflected by the elevation of our bilateral relationship to a comprehensive partnership in 2014. We already cooperate on a range of areas including the economy, trade, security and defence — and hope to further enhance our relationship under President-elect Trump," he said.
http://www.theedgemarkets.com/my/article/najib-malaysian-authorities-have-led-way-1mdb-probe

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Najib: Malaysian authorities have led the way in 1MDB probe

  
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Translated by Google Translator: 
KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 15): Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the issue surrounding 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) has been politicised by certain elements, adding that Malaysian authorities have led the way in investigations into the troubled state fund.
In an interview with Nikkei Asian Review, Najib pointed out that he was the first to instruct Malaysian authorities to investigate the company.
"Malaysian authorities have actually led the way in investigations into 1MDB. It was I who first instructed multiple authorities in Malaysia to conduct investigations," he said in a written response to the publication.
Najib said 1MDB has been subjected to investigations by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, the auditor-general, the police and the Public Accounts Committee.
He added it has been always made clear that full cooperation should be extended to any lawful investigation, and said the law will be enforced without exception if any wrongdoing is proven.
"However, it is important to note that this has become a highly politicised matter, with certain elements within Malaysia attempting to exploit this for their own personal political benefit, and feeding foreign authorities with at times false or incomplete information.
"Those outside Malaysia cannot always appreciate these complexities, but it is something they should bear in mind to avoid becoming entangled in what has become a domestic political matter," he said.
Najib also commented on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, saying it would be premature to make any conclusions on the deal until US President-elect Donald Trump assumes office.
"In its current guise, the TPP agreement cannot come into force without the US's involvement. As such, it is not a question of whether or not Malaysia — or any other country for that matter — could still proceed with its ratification," said Najib.
In any case, he said, Malaysia remains committed to strengthening its economic ties with the US and other countries involved.
While the country has been strengthening ties with China in recent years, Malaysia's relationship with any one country does not come at the expense of its relationship with another, said Najib.
The government, he said, places great importance on Malaysia's relationship with the US.
"Indeed, this is reflected by the elevation of our bilateral relationship to a comprehensive partnership in 2014. We already cooperate on a range of areas including the economy, trade, security and defence — and hope to further enhance our relationship under President-elect Trump," he said.
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