KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has expressed astonishment at the Royal Commission of Enquiry (RCI) panel, which has yet to decide on whether to call him to the proceeding which is investigating Bank Negara Malaysia's (BNM) forex losses in the early 1990s.
In a statement, the jailed PKR leader said his legal representative at the RCI on Wednesday had asked for confirmation on whether he would be called as a witness.
“However, I am astonished that RCI chairman Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan replied that they have 'yet to decide' on whether to call me.
“Considering that I was the Finance Minister at the material time, it cannot be very difficult to make this decision.
“It would be farcical if this enquiry is concluded without hearing my testimony,” he said.
Anwar was Finance Minister from 1991 to 1998 and had in the past claimed that former BNM assistant governor Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop did not provide a complete report on the billions of ringgit in forex losses incurred by the central bank.
He said there have been repeated references made of him in the course of the proceeding, which makes it imperative that he should be allowed to testify.
“The commission has on several occasions said that they want to get to the truth of the matter. They must know that the best way to get to the truth would be to allow material and critical witnesses like myself and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who was Prime Minister at the time, to testify.
“The proper function and purpose of the Royal Commission of Inquiry is not to draw premature conclusions or cast aspersions upon anyone, but to establish the truth,” he said.
On Wednesday, Anwar’s lawyer, Datuk Dr Gurdial Singh Nijar said only the RCI panel can decide if there is a need for Anwar to be present at the inquiry.
He also complained of unfair treatment received by the counsels of the interested parties (Anwar and Mahathir) throughout the proceeding, as they were not given access to all the documents given to the members of the panel, conducting officers and witnesses.
On Aug 24, Anwar expressed his wish to attend the inquiry as he is “concerned” over the proceeding, as provided for under Section 18 of the Commission of Enquiry Act 1950.
Anwar said he is following the proceeding with much difficulty through limited contact with his lawyers at Sg Buloh prison.
The RCI was set up following a Cabinet meeting soon after the New Straits Times published an interview with former BNM assistant governor, Datuk Abdul Murad Khalid, who claimed that the central bank had suffered forex losses of around US$10 billion in the early 1990s.
BNM was reported to have lost billions of ringgit between 1991 and 1994, and had to be rescued by the Finance Ministry.
The setting-up of the RCI and its membership received the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V.
The six-member panel is chaired by Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan.
Others on the panel are High Court judge Kamaludin Md Said; Bursa Malaysia Bhd chief executive officer Tajuddin Atan; Pemudah co-chairman Saw Choo Boon; Malaysian Institute of Accountants member K. Pushpanathan and Finance Ministry Strategic Investment Division director Yusof Ismail, who is also the Commission’s secretary.
The RCI has three months from the date of its setting up on July 15 to complete its probe and thereafter, submit its report to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.