NOT A SINGLE HONEST PERSON IN THE MALAYSIAN GOVT? Zeti endangers Malaysia by politicking - Zaid

Bank Negara governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz must do what is expected of her on The Wall Street Journal expose that US$700 million of 1MDB funds were deposited into Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s personal bank accounts.

And if Zeti is not careful, former law minister Zaid Ibrahim said, he believes the country's financial reputation would take a turn for the worse and become a disaster.

Asked whether Zeti was answerable to the matter, Zaid replied that she indeed was.

“For Bank Negara to be silent after all the revelations is unacceptable.. it’s out of this world,” Zaid told Malaysiakini on Tuesday.

“We have a good name in financial matters so far, in the way we regulate ourselves.

“But if she (Zeti) is not careful, this would be a disaster,” he said.

Pointing out how the matter was being investigated by other regulatory authorities as well, Zaid added that it was not something one could isolate his or herself from.

“So I think Zeti must be straightforward, be professional about it and tell the world. That’s what she’s there for.

Zaid was commenting on the continued silence by Bank Negara following the WSJ report on the 1MDB funds deposited into Najib bank accounts.

Asked whether Zeti should be investigated too, Zaid said: “I suppose so”.

'Not how things are done'

“I suppose her reluctance to be candid, frank and open about the whole matter is out of this world for a central banker.

“Her conduct is most unbecoming and unfortunate,” Zaid said.

As for whether there was a conflict of interest in her role in the special task force investigating the alleged misappropriation of 1MDB’s funds, Zaid was sarcastic in his reply.

“That’s why I ask, why is everybody so excited? I’m not. This is not how things should be done,” he said.

Zeti is part of the special task force that has since frozen six bank accounts related to the case.

Apart from Zeti, Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail, Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Abu Kassim Mohamed are in this task force. - M'kini