Idris Haron pushes back against US DoJ's 1MDB comments

KUALA LUMPUR: The United States Department of Justice's (DoJ) latest comments on the 1MDB scandal will not have a negative impact towards Umno ahead of the upcoming polls.
Umno supreme council member Datuk Seri Idris Haron said this issue was made by "irresponsible" people to hamper the government's efforts in providing development to the people.
"The reality is that Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) has a good performance record in defending the people and these are supported with facts and figures.
"We will never lie and confuse the people, and we will work everyday, and not like the opposition where they will only work once every five years," Idris said after attending the Umno president's mandate speech at Putra World Trade Centre, here.
Idris, who is also the Malacca Chief Minister took a swipe at the opposition as the latter will use the DoJ issue to confuse the people.
"The opposition will come and spread fake news and slander which would then confuse the people. This is their job. They will give statements that could influence the voters to lose confidence in BN," he said.
Idris was responding to United States Attorney-General Jeff Sessions statement that the 1MDB scandal is the "worst form of kleptocracy."
The DoJ in June filed several lawsuits to seize more than US$1.7 billion (nearly RM7 billion) in assets believed to have been stolen from 1MDB.
Sessions added that the DoJ is working to provide justice to the victims.
Meanwhile, another Umno supreme council member Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said it is not fair for people to compare the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on losses incurred by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) in the foreign exchange (forex) scandal, with the 1MDB scandal.
"RCI is actual loss, not paper loss. Let the police do their investigation (on 1MDB) and the truth shall prevail," she said.
The RCI report on the forex scandal concluded that the losses incurred by BNM stood at RM31.5 billion.
On Sunday (Dec 3), Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun said the probe into the forex losses is expected to take a long time, as the police will have to study the report and identify potential witnesses.