Anwar attends to give statement to RCI on forex losses

PUTRAJAYA: Former deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (pic) was present at the Palace of Justice here on Thursday to testify at the proceedings of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into foreign exchange losses by Bank Negara Malaysia around the 1990s.

The former finance minister, who is now serving a jail sentence, was escorted by Prison Department personnel when entering the Palace of Justice at about 8.40am.

The vehicle bringing Anwar, which was escorted by vehicles from the Royal Malaysia Police and Prisons Department, used a special lane to the court grounds which made it difficult for media representatives to record his presence.

Anwar was finance minister from 1991 until 1998. He was appointed deputy prime minister in 1993 before being expelled in 1998.

PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who is also Anwar's wife, his daughter Nurul Izzah Anwar and members of his family, as well as Anwar's lawyers R.Sivarasa  and Datuk Dr Gurdial Singh Nijar  were also at the Palace of Justice.

The proceedings, which entered its sixth day today, had called 17 witnesses to testify as of yesterday.

Besides Anwar, other witnesses scheduled to give their statements included former Bank Negara Malaysia governor Tan Sri Ahmad Mohd Don and former Auditor-General Tan Sri Dr Hadenan Abdul Jalil. 

The RCI into the losses in foreign exchange transactions was set up in line with the Commission of Inquiry Act 1950 (Act 119) whose establishment and membership had received the consent of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V.

The six-member commission is chaired by Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) chairman Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan.

The other members of the commission are High Court judge Datuk Wira Kamaludin Md Said, Chief Executive Officer of Bursa Malaysia Datuk Seri Tajuddin Atan, Co-Chairman Special Task Force to Facilitate Business (Pemudah) Tan Sri Saw Choo Boon and Malaysian Institute of Accountants member K. Puspanathan, and Director of the Strategic Investment Division of the Finance Ministry Datuk Dr Yusof Ismail, who is also secretary of the commission of inquiry. - Bernama