Edra sale a bid to clean up the books?

Amanah's Dzulkefly demands an answer from the PM's Department.

PETALING JAYA: Parti Amanah Negara Strategy Director Dzulkefly Ahmad has demanded an assurance from the government that the sale of 1MDB’s 13 power assets was not an attempt to “clean up the books” and to let off those responsible for the state-owned company’s losses when it acquired those assets.

Speaking to FMT, he said the government had yet to answer the question of whether the accounting involved in the recent sale would be done in such a way as to write off the losses.

Addressing Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mah Siew Keong, he said, “Would the minister be able to promise the rakyat that the wrongdoings of all the perpetrators will not be forgotten when the accounting is made?”

Dzulkefly congratulated Mah for his prompt response to a question he had posed earlier on whether the government had promised nuclear power projects to China General Nuclear Power Corp (CGN) with its takeover of 1MDB’s Edra Global Energy Bhd.

Mah’s response was that the RM9.83 billion deal signed by 1MDB and CGN had nothing to do with any nuclear power project in Malaysia.

“But only time will tell,” Dzulkefly said.

“While I commend his immediate response to my inquiry, the test of the pudding is in the eating. So let’s wait and see. The rakyat will be more than willing to give the government a big applause if that is truly the case.”

He also commented on 1MDB’s statement about the Edra sale being a “vote of confidence” in the Malaysian economy. He said 1MDB had no reason to be so “elated” because it should remember that it failed to list Edra on the stock exchange.