Pandikar’s order preventing MPs discussing 1MDB nullified

KUALA LUMPUR: Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Mohamad Ariff Yusof yesterday revoked the decision disallowing MPs from touching on 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and RM2.6 billion claimed to have been banked into the personal account of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Mohamad Ariff said that he had studied the decision made by his predecessor Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia who had claimed that the 1MDB issue was sub-judice because it was under investigation by the United States’ Department of Justice.

“I have weighed this matter and my interpretation is that sub-judice is only applicable to courts in Malaysia and not where courts in other countries are concerned,” he said after the Question-and-Answer session in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

He made the decision in response to an application by Datuk Seri Dr Ismail Mohamed Said ( BNKuala Krau) on July 25 who wanted to know if the ruling by Pandikar Amin (on 1MDB) still stood.

On the RM2.6 billion, Mohamad Ariff stated that it was no longer before the courts.

He explained that the High Court had rejected an application for an injunction related to the RM2.6 billion issue.

“The court ruled that the application did not have any merits at the interlocutory and civil cases levels,” he said.

However, Mohamad Ariff made another ruling to disallow debate on the court case involving Najib who has been charged at the High Court with three counts of criminal breach of trust ( CBT) and one count of abuse of power relating to SRC International Sdn Bhd funds amounting to RM42 million.

“On whether the interim gag order obtained by the Pekan MP ( Najib) pertaining to the case applies to the Dewan Rakyat, I have studied it and rule that it involves prosecution of a criminal case in a Malaysian court.

“As such, the case cannot be discussed, debated or touched on in this august house as per the gag order,” he added.