Only Bank Negara Malaysia can issue currency claims PM Najib

Only Bank Negara Malaysia can issue currency that is legal tender, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak said.

Commenting on the Kelantan government's introduction of gold dinar and silver dirham as an alternative currency in the state, Najib said Bank Negara would be looking into the matter to see if any laws had been broken.

"Follow the laws of the country, only Bank Negara is authorised to issue currency that is legal tender," he told reporters after handing over Ramadan aid to mosque and surau from the Pekan parliamentary constituency in Pekan, Pahang today.

On Thursday, when launching the syariah currency, Kelantan Menteri Besar Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat had said the state would strive to expand the use of the gold dinar and silver dirham in all transactions, including paying civil servants' remuneration.

However, he said there were still many technicalities that had to be addressed by the state government over the use of the currency.

-Bernama