PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today said he will not prevent any form of investigation involving Khazanah Nasional Bhd, reported the New Straits Times.
He said that despite him chairing Khazanah, he would not put a stop to any probe related to past or present cases.
"It could be previous cases. But even if there are any cases now, it will be investigated.
"If there is any wrongdoing, investigate, prosecute and penalise," he said in his speech at the launch of the National Hawkers and Small Traders Carnival 2024 (HPPK 2024) at PICCA Convention Centre @ Butterworth Arena today.
Earlier, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) said it had launched an investigation into the RM43.9 million investment loss suffered by Khazanah Nasional Bhd and Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) in Fashion Valet Sdn Bhd.
MACC chief Tan Sri Azam Baki said the probe is important as the matter involves public funds and interests.
"An investigation is necessary to determine if there is any criminal element," he said when contacted by Astro Awani yesterday.
In a written reply in the Dewan Rakyat last Monday, the finance ministry said Khazanah and PNB had obtained RM3.1 million from selling its shares in the e-commerce fashion platform to NXBT Partners last year.
NXBT is an investment holding company controlled by TIME dotCom Bhd CEO Afzal Abdul Rahim.
On Thursday, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil instructed the two government-linked investment companies and FashionValet to explain the RM43.9mil loss incurred.
Khazanah, in its statement, said its divestment from FashionValet represented a responsible exit to transfer ownership to a party that could help guide the latter to a new growth trajectory.
Meanwhile, PNB, in a separate statement, also clarified that its investment in FashionValet was made using its proprietary fund and not the unit trust funds under Amanah Saham Nasional Bhd (ASNB) subscribed by the public.
Yesterday, Fashion Valet’s founders Datin Vivy Yusof and her husband Datuk Fadzarudin Anuar also said they would step down from their management posts in the company to take full responsibility for Khazanah and PNB’s losses. - November 2, 2024
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