PETALING JAYA: The authorities must thoroughly investigate former Bank Negara Malaysia governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz’s alleged links to the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal, says MCA spokesman Chan Quin Er.

       The recent revelation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and police investigations into Zeti’s husband Datuk Dr Tawfiq Ayman had raised questions, she said, adding that only investigations could clear the allegations against Zeti.

       “Justice and public interest must be upheld at all costs irrespective of the person under probe. If Zeti is not to be faulted, then the investigations will provide an avenue to clear her name,” Chan said in a statement yesterday.

       On Friday, MACC revealed that US$15.4mil (RM65.71mil) of 1MDB-linked funds were recently recovered from Singapore and it involved the accounts of Cutting Edge Industries Ltd, a company owned by Zeti’s husband Tawfiq and one Samuel Goh.

       The millions linked to Cutting Edge Industries are part of MACC’s efforts to recover the assets and funds related to 1MDB, which amount to a total of RM20.5bil to date.

       In March, police said they were investigating Tawfiq over 1MDB-linked funds under Section 4(1)(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.

       Chan also said that when Zeti was appointed to the Council of Eminent Persons shortly after the 14th General Election (GE14), the general impression given was that she would clean up irregularities and act with transparency, given her first-hand knowledge of Bank Negara operations.

       In the run-up to GE14 in 2018, Chan said social media had depicted Zeti as being under pressure to maintain her silence on 1MDB.

       “Questions then and now were raised as to how she could not have known and failed to voice up about the suspicious transaction of 1MDB funds, despite being alerted by Singaporean financial authorities,” said Chan.

       She added that outspoken Opposition leaders like DAP’s Tony Pua should have spoken out on Zeti, as the Damansara MP had consistently made videos lampooning the 1MDB scandal.

       “Pua should emulate his PKR counterpart Wong Chen and NGO C4 (the Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism) who have called for further investigations into Zeti,” she said.