LIVID over Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun’s actions in dismissing debates over Pandora Papers, a DAP MP criticised the former giving lame excuses for it.
“Maybe he looks into a crystal ball for answers but the Speaker’s constant dismissal in scrutinising the expose made by Pandora Papers is baffling.
“And it’s especially damaging when a sitting Cabinet minister, Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, who holds the finance portfolio is also named in it,” said Klang MP Charles Santiago.
Yesterday, Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim lashed out at Azhar 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 had 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.
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 Tengku Zafrul.
Touching on the matter, Santiago queried on why international expose such as the Pandora Papers was not allowed to be debated at the Parliament despite being a matter of public interest.
As the nation is grappling with the after-effects of COVID-19, he added, the funds from tax evasion, if any, would come in handy to help the needy and destitute.
“I agree that it’s not illegal to have an offshore account but it’s certainly fraudulent to avoid taxes and have hidden assets.
“Without independent investigations like a royal commission of inquiry, we will never know what some of the prominent Malaysians named in the leaked documents were up to,” the DAP leader stated.
Due diligence needed
On that note, Santiago urged the authorities to conduct due diligence on the source of funds, which had enabled the trio named in the leak, to have offshore accounts and properties overseas.
“We all know how easy it is to hide money offshore through shell companies set-up in countries with high-levels of secrecy.
“Unfortunately, we may not be able to find out who really owns the company because it exists only in name, with no actual office space or staff,” he noted.
Hurling brickbats at Azhar, Santiago said the former should be privy of the information and reminded him that his image was already in tatters due to his perceived partiality to the Government.
“Azhar has lost all respect because he has been quick to dismiss legitimate requests like that ones made by Anwar. He is seen to have sided with the government.
“But Azhar now has a chance to do the right thing by allowing debate on the Pandora Papers in the Parliament, so that Malaysians will know the truth and get some answers,” he concluded. – Oct 12, 2021.
