Why act like a lawyer for those linked to Pandora Papers, Anwar asks Speaker

 

Azhar Harun rejected the motion to debate the outflow of funds saying they were small but Anwar said it should nevertheless be debated.

KUALA LUMPUR: After his latest motion to request for the Pandora Papers exposé to be debated in Parliament was rejected, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim asked Speaker Azhar Harun why he was acting like a lawyer for those linked to the data leak.

Azhar had said, based on what he read on the issue, the monies involved in the Pandora Papers was not about the outflow of money to accounts abroad, but on shareholdings in offshore firms.

“So it’s not an outflow of money as you said,” he told Anwar.

“They are two different matters. And I see that some of the shares, according to statements outside, were worth little, not to the billions. Some were just five (British) pounds only, if I’m not mistaken.”

Anwar then maintained that, if this was true, the individuals involved in the data leak should simply explain their side to the house.

“How can a minister, for example, hold shares there? And if this is not from the outflow of money from here, then where is it from? Let it be debated. If only five pounds, then fine, five pounds.

“I don’t know why you’re becoming a lawyer for these people,” said Anwar.

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