1MDB probe report might not be tabled in March - PAC chairman

Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman, Datuk Hasan Arifin said this is because the commission might need to recall two key individuals - 1MDB former chief executive officer Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi and former 1MDB chairman Tan Sri Mohd Bakke Salleh for more questioning.

“PAC will continue to look into the matter in a more detailed manner and will not be influenced by any social media reports,” said Hasan during a press conference held after chairing the PAC meeting at Parliament here on Wednesday.

“The proceeding will continue. I am afraid we will not be able to settle it in March.

“We will try our best to complete our report in Parliament in March, if there are other matters,” said Hasan during a press conference held after chairing the PAC hearing towards 1MDB chairman, Tan Sri Lodin Wok Kamaruddin in Parliament here today.

Hasan on Tuesday said that PAC would only decide whether to call up former 1MDB chairman, Tan Sri Mohd Bakke Salleh if they were unsatisfied with the statement given by Lodin.

Earlier, Lodin admitted that the questions asked by PAC were tough however he managed to answer it all.

“I think that the proceeding is coming to an end after a long time. Effort has been made to settle this 1MDB issue,” he said.

The PAC began probing 1MDB on May 19.

Shahrol Azral had testified twice before the PAC in November last year.

On November 25, PAC heard Shahrol Azral's testimony on 1MDB's governance starting from the Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA) in 2009 until the official establishment of 1MDB in September 2009.

1MDB president and group executive director Arul Kanda Kandasamy had appeared before the PAC on Dec 1to provide his testimony for the first time.