I accept your challenge, Arul Kanda tells Tony Pua

1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) president and group executive director Arul Kanda Kandasamy said he accepted Tony Pua’s challenge for a live talk show.

“YB Tony Pua has challenged me this morning to a live talk show with him. I hereby accept his challenge and look forward to answering his questions,” he said in a statement today.

However, Arul Kanda set a condition – that Pua must first resign from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) as the bi-partisan committee is currently investigating 1MDB.

Arul Kanda said this is to avoid any conflict of interest.

“It is a known fact that Tony Pua is a member of the PAC, which is in the midst of conducting an investigation into 1MDB.

“In order to maintain the integrity of the PAC’s investigation, and to avoid any conflict of interest, Tony Pua must first resign from the PAC,” he said in the statement.

Arul Kanda said Pua cannot be judge, jury and executioner.

"As such, I trust he will have the courage to do the right thing and resign from the PAC in order for us to have, in his words, a no-holds barred discussion on live television," he added.

The Petaling Jaya Utara MP had earlier today challenged Arul Kanda for a live interview on 1MDB issues.

Yesterday, in a special interview with Bernama TV, Arul Kanda said there is no cover up related to the company.

He said this is because there are five investigative agencies looking at 1MDB - Bank Negara, Auditor General Department, police, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and PAC.

"All these agencies have been given information about the company... what happens in 1MDB. Those investigations are ongoing. We give fullest cooperation to the lawful authorities," he said.