Anwar submits motion to debate Leissner's bribery claims in Parliament

PETALING JAYA: Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has submitted a motion to Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Azhar Harun to debate the statement given in a United States federal court by former Goldman Sachs Southeast Asia chairman Tim Leissner.

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

The PKR president and Port Dickson MP said that the matter requires detailed and thorough attention and debate in the Dewan Rakyat as it was a matter of public interest.

"It also needs to be expedited as the latest case is exposed at the international level and requires an immediate explanation from the government following the failure of national enforcement agencies – especially the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) – to detect, investigate and prosecute any Malaysian citizen if involved in any (illegal) financial transaction.

"I hope this motion receives due consideration from the Speaker of the House," said Anwar in a statement on Monday (Feb 28).

On Feb 23, Leissner told a US court - where he is the star witness in the 1MDB trial of Malaysian former banker Roger Ng - that Bank Negara had given an "unprecedented" overnight approval for 1MDB to transfer US$1bil in funds to PetroSaudi International.

He alleged that this unusual approval was granted because the central bank's then-governor Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz's husband had allegedly received a bribe.

Zeti's husband, Datuk Dr Tawfiq Ayman, has since denied the allegations.

"I wish to categorically state that throughout my entire life, I have never received any bribe from anyone," he said in a statement on Feb 24.

The Dewan Rakyat meeting will run for 16 days until March 24 while the Dewan Negara meeting, which will be opened simultaneously with the Dewan Rakyat on Monday (Feb 28), will last for nine days beginning March 21.