Dr M to testify before forex RCI next week

Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad will testify before the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) investigating Bank Negara's foreign exchange (forex) losses next Monday.

This was confirmed by his lawyer Mohd Haniff Khatri Abdulla, who accepted a subpoena on behalf of his client, this afternoon.

“We received it (the subpoena) around 2.30pm and Mahathir is scheduled to testify at 11am on Monday,” he told Malaysiakini.

The lawyer said Mahathir was unable to receive the subpoena as he was attending the late Kedah ruler Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah's funeral.

Haniff said he would send a letter to the RCI tomorrow to ask when its officers intend to take a statement from Mahathir and also to pass copies of documents they would refer to the former premier by the end of this week.

He said this is to facilitate Mahathir in giving his testimony.

“Tun will attend because he has been subpoenaed. But that would be without prejudice to his appeal pending in the Court of Appeal on his application to disqualify the two members of the RCI.”

A total of 21 witnesses have testified before the RCI so far, with the last being former opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, who was the then deputy prime minister and finance minister.

With the exception of Anwar, who is serving a five-year prison term, the other witnesses came with prepared witness statements.

The RCI was set up in line with the Commission of Inquiry Act and its members received the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Muhammad V in July.

Former chief secretary to the government Mohd Sidek Hassan is the chairperson. Special Task Force to Facilitate Business (Pemudah) co-chairperson Saw Choo Boon, High Court judge Kamaludin Md Said, Bursa Malaysia Bhd chief executive officer Tajuddin Atan and Malaysian Institute of Accountants member K Pushpanathan are the other panel members.

The forex scandal occurred during the late 1980s and early 1990s when Mahathir was prime minister.

Certain quarters have accused Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak of attempting to exact political revenge against his nemesis and deflect attention from the 1MDB scandal. -Mkini