Najib backs Anwar, calls for Pandora Papers expose to be debated at the Parliament

FORMER Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak backed Opposition Leader Datuk Anwar Ibrahim’s bid to get the Pandora Papers expose to be discussed at the Dewan Rakyat.

“In my view, there is nothing wrong in debating this expose. Let no one confuse the public or weaponise the issue as a political capital.

“Besides, I’m also curious to know on how a certain individual managed to purchase 13 banks across the world,” he said in a Facebook post.

Three days ago, Anwar lashed out at Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun for dismissing his appeal to discuss the expose made by the Pandora Papers, which implicated several prominent Malaysian leaders of parking huge sums of money offshore.

“Why are you acting like a lawyer acting for those linked to the expose?” Anwar asked the House Speaker.

However, Azhar defended his decision by saying that based on his reading of the issue, the monies were not about outflow of money to accounts abroad but on shareholdings in offshore firms.

“So, it’s not an outflow of money as you said,” he told the Port Dickson MP.

But the former deputy prime minister shot back saying that if it was true, then those implicated should explain their side of the story in the Dewan Rakyat.

“How can a minister, for example, hold shares there? If this is not from the outflow of money from here, then where is it from? Let it be debated,” Anwar added.

Talk about GST, trade mispricing too

DAP MP Charles Santiago ago backed Anwar in his call to get the expose debated in the august house, adding Azhar’s decision to dismiss the motions filed were baffling.

The prominent local individuals mentioned in the leak were former Finance Minister Tun Daim Zainuddin, former Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz.

On that note, Najib mocked the previous Pakatan Harapan Government for abolishing the goods and services tax (GST), claiming it could have resolved issues such as trade mispricing which only benefitted large businesses and reduced revenue for the Government.

“And I would like to see our Pakatan leaders explain the illicit capital outflow issue, reported by the Global Financial Integrity Report and caused by trade mispricing for the sake of evading tax,” the Pekan MP concluded. – Oct 14, 2021

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