Nazir also suggested that the two-month delay in the troubled firm’s audit was a reflection of bad governance in government-linked companies. — File pic

KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 — CIMB group chairman Datuk Seri Nazir Razak has waded into the debate over the reported delay in the latest audit on 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), taking to social media yesterday to ask how such a thing could be allowed to happen.

On photo-sharing social network Instagram, Nazir, who is also the brother of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, also suggested that the two-month delay in the troubled firm’s audit was a reflection of bad governance in government-linked companies.

“I am perplexed why your March 2015 audit has not even started? How is this allowed?

“Has standards of GLC governance dropped so low?” he asked in the Instagram post, captioning a picture of 1MDB.

Yesterday, DAP MP Tony Pua accused 1MDB’s directors and Putrajaya of blocking Deloitte Malaysia from commencing its latest audit on the firm and claimed that this would like cause it to again miss its deadline for the submission of financial statements to regulator Companies Commission of Malaysia.

1MDB’s financial year ended on March 31, which means it must submit its annual audited accounts no later than September 30.

But Deloitte had on Wednesday disclosed to Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee that it had yet to receive instructions to start the audit.

Responding yesterday, 1MDB CEO Arul Kanda Kandasamy said that Deloitte Malaysia’s audit on Edra Global Energy was “well under way” and that 1MDB’s board and management had met the auditing firm as early as February to discuss starting an audit after the financial year-end of March 31.

At the time of writing, Nazir’s Instagram post has been liked 403 times and been commented on 29 times, with sentiments including irreverence and support for the former’s claims.

“Biasalah. Inikan Malaysia,” wrote user Pravin McKenzie.

(Translation: As usual, this is Malaysia.)

“Maaf sangat. Saya penyokong dan pengundi. PM sedar atau tidak imej beliau sudah ditahap terendah sekarang. Tiada seorang pun yang pro-BN yang saya kenali sekarang ini menyokong PM,” user Fendy Ahmad said.

(Translation: I’m very sorry. I’m a supporter and voter. Does the PM realise or not that his image is at its lowest level now. None of the pro-BN people that I know currently supports the PM)

Some comments, like that of Instagram user Maria Tay, however, was in support of 1MDB and the prime minister, urging Nazir to wait for the audit to be over as the former’s commenting on the issue did not improve things.

“Your comment does not help the equity/financial market (sic) stronger, it only complicates the political environment, though it may appear to make you a hero though (sic),” she commented.

The troubled state investment fund was incorporated in 2009, after the prime minister announced the decision to turn the Terengganu Investment Authority state fund into a federal agency.

Since then, 1MDB has been dogged by negative publicity over its allegedly opaque deals and RM42 billion debt pile.