“The report of STF should be made public, if it is to be the first step to restore accountability and good governance in the country”
KUALA LUMPUR: The findings of the special taskforce on Bank Negara Malaysia’s alleged foreign exchange losses should be published so the public may understand the need for a royal inquiry, said DAP’s Lim Kit Siang.
The DAP parliamentary leader said this was because key individuals linked to the scandal from nearly three decades ago were not called to testify before the taskforce recommended the Royal Commission of Inquiry to the Cabinet.
Among these was Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, whom Lim noted was prime minister during the time the estimated US$10 billion in losses were allegedly incurred by the central bank.
“The report of STF should be made public, if it is to be the first step to restore accountability and good governance in the country,” Lim said in a statement.
He also cited remarks by former Chief Secretary Tan Sri Sidek Hassan, who had headed the taskforce, that Finance Ministry and BNM officials did not cooperate fully with the panel.
Lim said it was inconceivable that government officials would snub a taskforce formed by the Cabinet, even if it did not have the power to compel their cooperation.
The Prime Minister’s Office announced the RCI on June 21, saying the special taskforce recommended its formation after concluding there was sufficient evidence to merit further investigation.
Putrajaya formed the task force in February after former BNM assistant governor Datuk Abdul Murad Khalid claimed in an interview that the central bank racked up US$10 billion in foreign exchange losses during the early 1990s.
The scandal was among the biggest from Dr Mahathir’s time as prime minister.
Source: The Malay Mail Online
