Pandikar: Subjudice to discuss DOJ lawsuit against 1MDB

KUALA LUMPUR: It is subjudice to discuss matters related to the civil lawsuit against 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) by the United State's Department of Justice (DoJ).
Stating this, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia (pix) urged the ministers not to respond to questions or motions related to the matter in Parliament.
"I find that the matter is still unresolved in court. Thus it is subjudice. The ministers need not answer questions related to it. MPs who have submitted questions or motions related to it, I will reply in writing on my decision to satisfy you," he said today.
Pandikar said this is also to prevent allegations and perception that the ministers have overpowered the Speaker by giving statements that discussing such matters are subjudice.
"I found that several oral and written questions as well as motions submitted to Parliament for this sitting are all related to one issue – that is the civil action by the US' DOJ.
"To prevent accusations like in previous session, where the question that was supposed to be answered orally, but due to lack of time, the respective minister said it is not necessary to give a written reply because the (discussed) matter was subjudice," he said.
Pandikar was referring to Minister in Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said's statement during the March sitting that all question related to the RM2.6 billion deposits into the prime minister's bank accounts was subjudice.
"I don't want a perception where a minister is accused of assuming the role of the Speaker. Thus all the questions have been vet through prior to this and will not be included in the list," he said.
The DoJ had, on July 20, reportedly announced that it had filed a civil lawsuit seeking to seize more than RM4billion in assets that it claimed were embezzled from the state fund.