1MDB: Government serious to get to the truth - Paul Low

He said the National Audit Department had begun the audit after being instructed to do so by prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to independently verify the 1MDB accounts.

"The government is serious in getting to the truth. The Auditor-General is requested to do the audit not just about the account but whatever that is necessary to get to the truth, particularly areas relating to what the public is worried about.

"There are some people who claimed that this is a classic way of distracting comments by the public but it is not true. The Auditor-General's findings will be presented to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) which is bipartisan, transparent and open," he told reporters after the launching of the Auditor-General's Dashboard Version, here today.

On March 4, Najib had instructed the Auditor-General to verify the 1MDB accounts and said that if any wrongdoing was proven, the law would be enforced without exception.

On March 9, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said a special task force comprising representatives from the Attorney-General's Chambers and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has been formed to investigate into complaints on the status of the 1MDB.

Low said the audit by the Auditor-General and the task force were carried out simultaneously and independently.

"Please bear in mind that they are not receiving instructions from anyone and (there is) no interference too. I can assure you that it is proceeding independently to verify accusations because the public need to know (the truth).

"The Auditor-General's report will be made public," he said.