Kit Siang welcomes RM10m suit, says ex-AG can explain 1MDB inactivity

DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang has welcomed Mohamed Apandi Ali's RM10 million suit against him, stating that it would be an opportunity for the former attorney-general to explain his alleged "inactivity" when the 1MDB scandal unfolded.

Apandi had initiated the action against Lim for accusing the former attorney-general of "aiding and abetting" the 1MDB scandal.

Lim, in a statement today, said he had yet to receive Apandi's statement when he read about the suit in the news yesterday, but has instructed his lawyer Ramkarpal Singh to accept service of the suit.

"I will contest Apandi’s suit, but it is a matter of relief that Malaysians now will have the opportunity to get answers why Apandi had been totally inactive as the attorney-general after the US Department of Justice’s (DOJ) filed its largest kleptocratic forfeiture suit (US$1.7 billion out of US$4.5 billion 1MDB-linked assets) over the 1MDB scandal," he said in a statement today.

Lim noted several developments in recent days in relation to the 1MDB scandal.

Among them, he said, was Hollywood producer Joey McFarland's (above) move to surrender several gifts he received from Riza Aziz, the stepson of former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak, which were allegedly bought using stolen 1MDB funds.

He also noted that Yayasan Rahah, a charitable organisation named after Najib's mother Rahah Mohammad Noah, is also seeking a settlement with the Malaysian government after it was named among 41 recipients of funds from Najib that were allegedly misappropriated from 1MDB.

He also highlighted the DOJ's decision to investigate Germany's Deutsche Bank over its involvement in the 1MDB scandal.

"All these three episodes in the past five days raise a common question: Why was Apandi inactive on the 1MDB scandal when he was attorney-general?" he said.

Lim added that Apandi had dismissed in June 2017 the DOJ's expanded forfeiture action against assets allegedly acquired using stolen 1MDB money, and expressed regret at "insinuations" against then prime minister Najib Abdul Razak.

"I had informed Apandi that they were not 'insinuations,' but an 'open and direct charge by the US government that the prime minister (at the time) had lied when he claimed that the RM2.6 billion donations had come from Saudi Arabian royalty," he said.

However, Lim said there was only "thunderous silence" from Apandi.

"Now, we can get the answers in the courts," said Lim, who is also the Iskandar Puteri MP.

Following a change in government in 2018, Najib is now facing 42 charges of money laundering, criminal breach of trust and abuse of power in relation to the 1MDB matter.

Apandi was also replaced with the change of government.

The new government has now commenced a global recovery effort of allegedly misappropriated 1MDB funds.