On 19th March 2013, 1MDB Global Investments Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) issued a bond to raise US$3.0 billion (RM9.6 billion).
According to the “Offering Circular”, 1MDB Global Investments “will either on-lend all of the net proceeds of this Offering to Abu Dhabi Malaysia Investment Company Limited (ADMIC) or use the net proceeds of the offering to fund its investment in ADMIC, which will be a 50:50 joint venture between the 1MDB Global Investments and Aabar Investments, an investment arm of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
The “Offering Circular” issued by Goldman Sachs International had highlighted various risks with regards to the bond offering related to ADMIC – on how ADMIC doesn’t have any track record, that ADMIC’s investments may fail, that Aabar may not fulfil their 50% investment in ADMIC etc. However, there is no mention anywhere at all in the 104-page document that the monies raised may be used for any other purposes other than the investment in ADMIC.
However, based on the latest 1MDB financial statements for the year-ended March 2014, it was reported that:
While the terms and scope of the proposed joint vemture are being finalised, a portion of the proceeds from the private debt securities [bonds] amounting to USD1.56 billion have been placed in various investment portfolios under custody of a licensed financial institution with good credit ratings…
In 2014, the remaining net proceeds have been utilised by the Company [1MDB] for working capital and debt repayment purposes. In the previous financial year, the remaining net proceeds had been placed in time deposits and cash accounts…
This means that of the US$3 billion raised by 1MDB Global Investment, less US$283 million in “certain commissions, fees and expenses” for Goldman Sachs and US$1.56 billion invested with “a licensed financial institution”, the balance of US$1.16 billion has been diverted to its parent company, 1MDB to repay the latter’s debts and fund its operating expenses.
As it stands, even the US$1.56 billion invested with “a licensed financial institution” is a questionable act. However, the transfer of US$1.16 billion or 42.7% of the funds to be used by the parent company, 1MDB to help pay its debts and cover the shortfall in operating expenses is a clear breach of the “Offering Circular”.
The question is hence, has the investors of the 1MDB bond been duly informed of the change of use of proceeds?
Such abuse of funds will certainly harm the credibility of 1MDB, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Ministry of Finance. For instance, 1MDB expects to be listing its energy subsidiary by the first quarter of next year. In the listing prospectus, it would be clearly stated the “use of proceeds” from funds raised. The question then is, can the “use of proceeds” listed in the propectus by 1MDB be trusted? Will the expected RM18 billion raised by 1MDB Energy from its initial public offering (IPO) be similarly diverted to bailout 1MDB’s other debts or fund 1MDB’s other operations, instead of being dedicated to build the 1MDB Energy business?
More importantly, the desperate act by 1MDB to divert funds raised for its subsidiary to fund 1MDB’s own operating expenses and pay off its debts clearly demonstrates that the company is facing financial difficulties in balancing its cashflow.
Together with other examples cited in my earlier press conferences – the rescheduling and restructuring of a RM6.17 billion loan due in November 2013, as well as the inability to complete the RM317 million land acquisition from Tadmax despite 3 deadline extensions – clearly proves that all is not well in 1MDB.
Given 1MDB’s bloated RM42 billion of debt, and the massive systemic risk it poses on our country’s financial system, it would explain the reason for the Government’s desperation to award 1MDB with super-prime pieces of land at dirt-cheap prices and multi-billion ringgit power plant contracts to ensure a quick and successful listing to raise billions of ringgit. Malaysians are currently witnessing the biggest bailout in the nation’s history.