Anwar covered up Bank Negara losses, says RPK

The influential blogger said the former deputy prime minister had absolved Bank Negara of any wrong-doing in 1994, which prompted Lim Kit Siang to accuse Anwar Ibrahim of lying.

PETALING JAYA: Former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim was involved in covering up the multi-billion ringgit losses by Bank Negara some 20 years ago, blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin claimed.

In his blog posting yesterday, the blogger said that even DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang had called Anwar a liar in 1994 when the latter was alleged to have denied it.

“Lim raised the matter in Parliament back in the mid-1990 and Anwar denied it. Lim was so upset that he accused Anwar of lying to the august House,” alleged Raja Petra.

Raja Petra was responding to former Bank Negara deputy governor Rosli Yaakop’s allegation two days ago, when the latter reportedly told a forum that there were four people involved in the losses amounting to RM30 billion suffered by Bank Negara between 1992 and 1993.

Rosli named former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, former Finance Minister Daim Zainuddin, former Bank Negara governor, the late Jaafar Hussein, and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nor Mohamed Yakcop of being involved in the scandal.

He accused them of gambling recklessly on the foreign exchange (forex) speculation activities at the expense of Bank Negara’s assets.

It was said that Jaafar and Nor were trying to beat billionaire financial speculator George Soros in the forex speculation market.

When the matter was raised in Parliament in April 1994 by Lim, Anwar had denied it, saying he was “fully satisfied with the reasons” given by Jaffar for the Bank Negara’s forex losses.

Raja Petra said that Anwar’s attempt to cover up the losses itself is tantamount to him being involved in the scandal.

The blogger also queried Rosli, who is also a PAS member, on why he did not expose the matter in 1999, when he resigned from Bank Negara.

“Why after more than 10 years did he decide to speak up even though he has not offered any evidence to support his allegation?” asked Raja Petra.