Hasan (centre) said it was unnecessary to summon Najib for questioning in PAC's investigation on 1MDB, but failed to explain why. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 18 — It is not necessary for the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to summon Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak for questioning in its investigation on 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), the panel’s new chief said.

Datuk Hasan Arifin did not, however, explain the reason for the decision.

“It’s not necessary… not necessary,” he told reporters today when asked when Najib would be called.

“Janganlah… saya pun mahu cari makan juga,” he then said when repeatedly asked for answer.

[Translation: Don’t la.. I need to make a living too]

Reporters had earlier asked Hasan to confirm if the prime minister would be called in for questioning in the committee’s probe on the state-owned firm, pointing out that his predecessor Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed had previously not ruled out the possibility.

In May, Nur Jazlan had said that there was “no pressure” on the panel to summon Najib to testify in the probe due to the prime minister’s involvement in the state investor’s decision-making processes.

He also said the PAC “may” call Najib but only after it conducts the necessary interviews with other relevant parties.

In March, Najib directed the PAC and the Auditor-General to investigate 1MDB following allegations of mismanagement and impropriety linked to its RM42 billion debt.

It was later announced that a special taskforce, comprising senior officials from the Attorney-General’s Chambers, Bank Negara Malaysia, the police and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, was also investigating the firm.

The special investigation taskforce was later discontinued following a Cabinet revamp, the removal of Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail as Attorney-General, and the transfers of investigators who were involved in the probe.

Apart from Malaysia, investigations into 1MDB and its related entities have also started in several other countries, including the US, the UK, Switzerland, the SAR of Hong Kong and Singapore.