Set up royal inquiry into RM2.6 billion donation, 1MDB, says PKR Youth

PKR Youth has called for a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to be set up to look into the RM2.6 billion 'donation' and the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal. Its deputy chief Dr Afif Bahardin said the RCI would get to the bottom of the two controversies, get the people to trust government institutions and regain investors' confidence. He said this following news reports quoting The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) finance editor Ken Brown saying the billions that went into Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's accounts were not from the Saudi royal family, but from companies related to 1MDB. The WSJ had exposed the RM2.6 billion controversy last year. Brown made the claim during an interview with Australia's ABC News on February 12. Brown said they had evidence to back up the claim and that ongoing international investigations into 1MDB would likely lead authorities to Najib, who has been cleared of criminal wrongdoing by Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali with regard to the controversies. Afif said following this, it was necessary for Najib to sue WSJ over the allegations to clear his name and show that he had nothing to do with the scandals. "His failure to answer and to file the suit against WSJ only reaffirms the people's belief that there was misappropriation in the donation issue and the management of 1MDB's finances," he said in a statement today. Afif also said Najib should resign and step away from his duties as prime minister as long as the "donation" scandal remained unresolved. "We need his resignation, a transparent investigation, and a fair trial to save Malaysia from the leadership crisis and the worst economic situation the country has ever suffered," he said. – February 19, 2016.]]>