©Malay Mail (Used by permission)
by BOO SU–LYN
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 12 — The Malaysian Bar achieved quorum at its extraordinary general meeting (EGM) today set to discuss purported interference with the investigation on 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and a controversial RM2.6 billion donation to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Malay Mail Online understands that more than 1,000 lawyers have turned up at the EGM this morning, double the quorum of 500.
“1k plus I think, but definitely reach 1k,” a source at the EGM told Malay Mail Online.
Malaysian Bar president Steven Thiru has proposed a motion at the EGM seeking approval from members to enable the Bar Council to sue anyone who interferes with investigations on financial impropriety allegations involving state investment firm 1MDB as well as on the transfer of RM2.6 billion and the alleged flow of RM42 million from former 1MDB subsidiary, SRC International, to Najib’s personal accounts.
The motion also called for the formation of a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to investigate those matters.
Allegations of a purported interference with the investigation on 1MDB, which is facing a huge debt burden of RM42 billion, arose after the removal of Attorney–General Tan Sri Gani Patail, top Special Branch officers, as well as Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal from Cabinet.
Senior Malaysian Anti–Corruption Commission (MACC) and Bank Negara officers, who had been part of a special task force investigating the alleged flow of funds to Najib’s accounts, have also been investigated by the police on suspicion of leaking confidential information.
Najib has denied using public funds for personal gain, while the MACC has said that the RM2.6 billion did not come from 1MDB, but was a donation from the Middle East.