PARLIAMENT | Dewan Rakyat speaker Azhar Azizan Harun has approved an emergency motion from opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim (Pakatan Harapan-Port Dickson) to discuss the revelations by former Goldman Sachs banker Tim Leissner about purported corrupt practices in Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) in relation to 1MDB.
In the Dewan Rakyat today, Azhar had agreed that the matter submitted by Anwar is specific and of urgent public interest.
“Therefore, I allow this motion to be discussed today in the special chamber at 2.30pm, where I myself will be chairing it,” he said.
Anwar had submitted the motion yesterday under Standing Orders 18(1) urging a debate on Leissner’s disclosure of corruption, abuse of power and institutional malpractice, specifically on BNM in relation to 1MDB.
Leissner had been testifying as a star witness in his former colleague Roger Ng’s corruption trial in New York where he mentioned bribery involving a former Bank Negara governor’s husband.
However, he could not independently verify if a bribe was indeed paid.
Dismissed allegations
Former Bank Negara Malaysia Zeti Akhtar Aziz’s husband Tawfiq Ayman has since dismissed the allegation from Leissner, saying he has never received any bribes in his life.
Though Azhar had agreed for the matter to be debated in the special chambers later this afternoon, Anwar insisted that it should be debated in the Dewan Rakyat itself as the issue has national implications and could affect the country’s “dignity”.
However, Azhar disagreed with this suggestion, saying that the position of the special chambers is the same as the Dewan Rakyat sitting as it is open to all.
He also said debating the issue in the special chambers will not disrupt the meeting’s agenda today, which is to debate on the royal address.
“We have time constraints. Apologies, YB,” Azhar said.
Royal address
Though Anwar said he was willing to have his time reduced during the royal address debate, Azhar remained firm with his refusal.
As such, the matter will be debated in the special chambers at 2.30pm today. Anwar’s debate on the royal address which was scheduled for today has been postponed to tomorrow so that he can attend the special chamber's debate.
Separately, R Sivarasa (Harapan-Sungai Buloh) and Khoo Poay Tiong (Harapan-Kota Melaka) also brought up the issue of MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki who had been accused of conflict of interest due to his shareholdings.
They urged the speaker to summon Azam to Parliament in order to answer to the lawmakers about the allegations, to the support of several other MPs.
Khoo also questioned how Azam can refuse to appear when summoned by the bi-partisan Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on Agencies under the Prime Minister’s Department last month.
No power to summon
Azhar explained that he does not have the power to summon Azam to appear before the PSC as only the committee has that power.
“The problem is power and the source of the power. Where does it say I can summon someone before the PSC? There is none. I do not have that power… It is the PSC that has the power.
“Secondly, Azam has not refused to appear before Parliament. He wrote a letter to raise legal issues and taking into account those legal issues, the chair (of the PSC) had cleared the date (of the meeting).
“So the narrative that Azam had refused to appear does not arise. There is no meeting.
“Thirdly, there is no preference. The meeting did not proceed, so he did not appear. If the meeting proceeded, then only the question of whether he refused to appear or not would arise,” Azhar said.
Though a number of opposition MPs attempted to push the matter further, Azhar shut them down and said today’s proceedings needed to continue. - Mkini
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