DAP’s Lim Kit Siang (pic) said Apandi’s continued refusal to leave would invariably earn him a place in the ‘1MDB rogues’ gallery. — Picture by Mukhriz Hazim

KUALA LUMPUR, June 2 — Tan Sri Mohd Apandi Ali must promptly resign as Attorney-General to avoid being implicated in any cover-up unearthed over the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) corruption scandal, said DAP’s Lim Kit Siang.

The DAP parliamentary leader said Apandi’s continued refusal to leave would invariably earn him a place in the “1MDB rogues” gallery with former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, billionaire Low Taek Jho and 1MDB president Arul Kanda Kandasamy.

“When will the former Federal Court judge come to his senses and regain the decency to submit his resignation as Attorney-General without any further delay?

“Will Apandi rank with Najib, Jho Low and even Arul Kanda Kandasamy as the national rogues in the 1MDB scandal?” he said in a statement.

The veteran DAP leader accused Apandi of “grave dereliction” as the AG in not directing the various enforcement agencies to pursue the leads from the 1MDB scandal discovered and revealed by the US Department of Justice’s civil forfeiture suit on June 15, last year.

“Apandi could have easily discovered whether there was any truth in these ten ‘killer paragraphs’ in the latest US DOJ litigation if he had sought assistance from the US and/or Singapore authorities ― which he and the enforcement agencies strenuously refused to do,” Lim said referring to DOJ’s additional civil forfeiture proceedings to recover a total of US$1.7 billion (RM6.76 billion) of 1MDB-linked assets

Lim said while the full story of the 1MDB scandal was yet to be fully told, but said it was clear that there was the abdication of responsibility and loss of moral moorings of several key government leaders.

He also said it was untenable for Apandi to cling on to the post given his enforced 30-day leave and the government’s clear suspicion of his ability to continue serving in the role.

Lim has repeatedly pressured Apandi to resign in order to make way for Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to appoint a replacement.

Apandi had previously cleared Najib of any wrongdoingsover a RM2.6 billion deposit in the latter’s personal account, accepting the former PM’s claim that the sum was a “donation” from a Saudi prince who has never been identified.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) said there was no documentary proof that such a donation was ever made.

Solicitor General Datuk Engku Nor Faizah Engku Atek is currently performing Apandi’s role as AG.