No WikiLeaks record of my ‘foreign stash’

He says BN's Liang Teck Meng should be referred to the rights and privileges committee for misleading the house on his (Anwar's) alleged 20 foreign bank accounts.

KUALA LUMPUR: Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim today debunked a BN backbencher’s remarks quoting whistle-blowing site WikiLeaks that he owned 20 bank accounts totaling RM322 million in foreign countries including Israel, saying the allegations were fictional.

“In fact, there was no such reference being made in any WikiLeaks entry on Malaysia,” he told the Dewan Rakyat today, in reference to Liang Teck Meng statement.

Anwar said the allegations had first appeared on pro-Umno blogs, which claimed that their information was retrieved from WikiLeaks.

Liang yesterday claimed Anwar owned treasure trove of US$66 million (RM209 million) and S$49 million (RM123 million) in banks in United States, Singapore, China and Israel.

He criticised Anwar for being a hypocrite by having numerous bank accounts in Israel despite having taken parts in the previous House’s motions to criticise Israel for its violent acts in Gaza.

When several opposition members wanted to use the House’s standing orders to urge Liang to withdraw his alleged “false” statements, the deputy speaker had shot down the requests, saying that Liang was merely quoting WikiLeaks.

Mocking Liang today, Anwar said the sole Gerakan MP should have known the risk of quoting WikiLeaks because there are also references made in the whistleblowing website on Najib’s alleged involvement in the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu.

“None of the WikiLeaks entry say that I own bank accounts in Israel, but there are entry that suggests that Pekan (Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak) is involved in the Altantuya case,” he said.

He requested Liang to be referred to the House’s rights and privileges committee for misleading the House members.

However, Liang was not present when Anwar made the request, hence speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia said he would ask Liang for clarification later.

“If he fails to explain the matter, there would be no hindrance for you to refer him to the rights committee,” he said.

Meanwhile at a press conference in the Parliament’s lounge, PKR’s Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli and his Bayan Baru colleague Sim Tze Tzin gave Liang until 2pm today to retract his statement and apologise to the House.

“Failing which we would move a motion to refer him to the rights committee,” they said.