Second Finance Minister Datuk Johari Ghani Abdul Ghani re-affirmed the freeze in the development of high-rise luxury residential projects.
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia is not beholden to anybody with regard to 1Malaysia Development Bhd's (1MDB) debt settlement, says Second Finance Minister, Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani.
“We are not beholden to anybody,” he told reporters when asked whether Chinese firms had helped in the repayment of 1MDB's debt to Abu Dhabi's International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC).
According to a Singapore's Straits Times report, 1MDB had made the final settlement of US$602.7mil in debt obligations to IPIC, by divesting its stake in two companies to buyers linked to Chinese state-owned enterprises.
The payment, the second tranche of a US$1.2bil loan IPIC extended in July 2015 to the troubled 1MDB, was made on Dec 22, ahead of the end-December deadline that both parties agreed to in early April this year, the report added.
The payment made was in pursuant to the settlement deed with Minister of Finance (Inc) Malaysia and IPIC.
Asked to confirm the report, Johari said the matter should be directed to Treasury Secretary-General, Tan Sri Dr Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah.
“I am not aware of it.You can ask Irwan Serigar as he is Chairman of 1MDB ,” he said to reporters after the launch of the new ePerolehan here. - Bernama
