1MDB Scandal: Roger Ng to arrive in Malaysia tonight - Saifuddin

SUNGAI SIPUT - Former Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng Chong Hwa is expected to return to Malaysia tonight to help in investigations into the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

He said the government’s focus was on asset recovery and Ng would be handed over to the relevant agencies.

"I know because other than the Attorney-General (Chambers), most of the agencies or institutions involved are under KDN (Home Ministry).

"Barring any obstacles, he will return to the country at midnight tonight,” he told a press conference after launching the ‘Menyemai Kasih Rakyat’ (MEKAR) programme for Orang Asli at Pos Kuala Mu here today.

Yesterday, media reports said Ng, facing 10 years in jail after being convicted in New York of helping loot billions of dollars from 1MDB, would be handed over to Malaysia to face related charges.

Saifuddin Nasution said Ng had been allowed to attend trial in the United States, where he had been convicted but had not yet started serving his jail term.

"We have not yet completed (investigation). So in this case, we notified the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) through the Attorney-General’s Chambers that according to an agreement, we can get him back once the trial there is completed.

"So DOJ has agreed to repatriate him for authorities in Malaysia to continue investigations into 1MDB or Goldman Sachs,” he said.

Asked about the location of Ng’s arrival, Saifuddin Nasution merely said: "A safe destination.”

On another matter concerning investigations against former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s son-in-law, Saifuddin Nasution said he would be meeting Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki on Monday to help in the application for an Interpol red notice.

"For example, we need to state in the notice applying for the red notice what the investigation is about, the charges and the like. So, we will facilitate MACC towards that direction,” he said.

Last August, Azam told the media that Muhyiddin’s son-in-law Datuk Seri Muhammad Adlan Berhan, 48, and one Mansoor Saat, 69, were wanted by MACC in connection with corruption and misappropriation charges related to projects on the registration, hiring and storage of foreign workers’ biometrics in a ministry.

It was reported that Immigration Department records showed that the two individuals had left Malaysia on May 17 and 21 respectively and had yet to return.

Saifuddin Nasution also said KDN through the National Registration Department (JPN) was targeting to conduct 1,500 Mekar programmes by the end of the year.

He said that in the first nine months of this year, 1,411 Mekar programmes had been organised throughout the country and about 40,000 applications under JPN’s jurisdiction had been received.

Today’s programme was attended by about 900 Orang Asli from the Temiar group from five villages in Pos Kuala Mu, namely Kampung Kuala Mu, Kampung Toh, Kampung Bersah, Kampung Gapeh Hulu and Kampung Gapeh Hilir. - BERNAMA