Anwar submits motion for debate on Leissner’s claims

 

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim tells Dewan Rakyat Speaker Azhar Harun that allegations related to 1MDB are of public interest.

PETALING JAYA: Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has submitted a motion to Dewan Rakyat Speaker Azhar Harun to debate testimony by former Goldman Sachs Southeast Asia chairman Tim Leissner in a US court.

Specifically, Anwar has called for Azhar to allow a debate on the allegations of bribery and abuse of power within institutions such as Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) in relation to the 1MDB scandal.

“This is an issue that needs attention and should be debated comprehensively and in detail as it involves public interest,” he said in a statement.

“I hope this motion will be given due consideration by the Dewan Rakyat Speaker,” he said.

In his testimony at the bribery trial of former Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng in New York last week, Leissner told a jury that BNM approved an “overnight” US$1 billion foreign exchange transfer from 1MDB to PetroSaudi International (PSI) after the husband of then BNM governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz allegedly received a bribe “to make it happen”.

However, Leissner could not confirm whether a bribe was paid when asked by prosecutors.

Zeti’s husband, Tawfiq Ayman, has denied the allegation.

Leissner described the speed at which BNM gave the approval for the transfer as “unprecedented” due to the capital controls in place at that time (2009).

It was reported that the US$1 billion included US$700 million for Good Star Ltd, allegedly controlled by Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low.

“This (debate) needs to be expedited as these exposes are at an international level and require an immediate explanation from the government,” said Anwar.

Earlier, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, opened the first meeting of the fifth session of the 14th Parliament, calling on authorities to pay “serious attention” to eradicating corruption. - FMT