‘Rulers gave serious attention to 1MDB’

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malay Rulers have given serious attention to the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) issue, says the Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal Tan Sri Syed Danial Syed Ahmad.

Responding to remarks made by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Com­mission (MACC) chief commissioner Datuk Seri Mohd Shukri Abdull during a special media conference yesterday, he said the Rulers had issued a statement on the issue on Oct 6, 2015.

“In fact, on the Rulers’ decree, I invited the chief commissioner of the MACC, his deputy and senior officers to have an audience with the Rulers to give relevant briefings.

“Within the scope of the roles and power of the Rulers based on the Federal Constitution, the Rulers indicated they had given serious attention to the 1MDB issue in a statement issued (on Oct 6, 2015) by the Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal on their behalf,” Syed Danial said in a statement yesterday.

Syed Danial also attached a statement, which among others, stated that the Malay Rulers were aware that the government was conducting an investigation and insisted on the need for the government to complete as soon as possible the ongoing investigation.

In the 2015 statement, the Rulers stated that the government should take the appropriate stern action against the parties involved.

The Rulers had also expressed concern that if the issue was not handled wisely and left unsolved for long, it would affect the national economy and the people.

Mohd Shukri yesterday claimed that former MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Abu Kassim Mohamed and him had met several Cabinet ministers in the previous government to convince them to act against then prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Mohd Shukri, who was MACC deputy chief commissioner (Operation) at that time, said after efforts to convince the ministers proved to be in vain, Abu Kassim and him had an audience with the Council of Malay Rulers to convince it to take action against Najib, but to no avail. — Bernama