Anwar: No more delays, let's have RCI on forex losses

Bank Negara's disastrous foreign exchange foray in the 1990s should be subject to a Royal Commission of Inquiry and not just a cabinet appointed task force, said PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim.

Anwar, who was finance minister from 1996 to 1998, said he was willing to assist the commission if it was established and the task force.

He said then senior Bank Negara official Nor Mohamad Yakcop was complicit in the affair and that there were others, such as former Bank Negara governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz, who could assist investigations.

"In fact, i had asked for his (Nor's) resignation but this was not allowed.

"But what is significant now is that Nor had been appointed as second finance minister during Pak Lah's (Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's) time and now he is still with Khazanah (Nasional)," he told reporters at the sidelines of a court case in Kuala Lumpur today.

Anwar, who is currently serving a jail sentence for sodomy charges, urged the government to expedite the forming of the commission instead of dragging their feet and thus diverting public attention from more pressing matter.

Cabinet had decided to form a special task force last week to probe what was Bank Negara's "actual losses" at the time and who was responsible.

Critics however claim that the task force was meant to discredit Dr Mahathir Mohamad who was the prime minister at the material time but is now a key opposition figure.

[More to follow]

-Mkini