KUALA LUMPUR – Former Bangi MP Ong Kian Ming has jumped to defend Tony Pua amid the probe into the latter after making flippant comments on the sentence reduction granted to ex-prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Ong urged Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders not to forget Pua’s contributions in delving into the contentious 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal.
“We remember what (Pua) did to reveal the magnitude of the 1MDB scandal when he was an MP,” he said.
“The people of Malaysia are still paying billions of ringgit on the debts incurred as a result of this scandal. I hope the leaders of PH do not forget.”
Najib was tied to the 1MDB scandal after leaked documents depicted that he channelled over RM2.67 billion from the government firm into his personal bank accounts.
Earlier today, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain confirmed that Pua was being investigated under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948 and for misuse of network facilities under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
Police cited the following posts by Pua – “Trust me. It’s not a scam”, “oh wow, after all these years, NAJIB/UMNO cybertrooper still love me”, “I beg your pardon?”, “can someone send me to jail for 1 year and in exchange, pay me RM50 mil?”, “Pretty please?”, and “King Klep pardoned!!”
Pua has been summoned to Bukit Aman at 1pm tomorrow to give his statement.
The former lawmaker had been on a high since the Pardons Board secretariat for the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan, and Putrajaya announced Najib’s sentence reduction on Friday.
He and Ong served together under the PH-led government from 2018 to 2020. Ong was deputy international trade and industry minister, while Pua was the political secretary to the finance minister, Lim Guan Eng. – February 4, 2024