Parliamentary Special Chamber to discuss abuse of power claims within Bank Negara on Tuesday (March 1)

KUALA LUMPUR: A motion to discuss allegations of power abuse within Bank Negara in relation to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal will be debated in a Parliamentary Special Chamber meeting.

Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Azhar Harun (pic) allowed the issue to be discussed in the meeting at 2.30pm on Tuesday (March 1) following an emergency motion submitted by Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (PH-Port Dickson) on Monday (Feb 28) under Standing Order 18(1).

Anwar had submitted the emergency motion to the Dewan Rakyat Speaker to debate the statement given by former Goldman Sachs South-East Asia chairman Tim Leissner in US Federal Court on bribery and abuse of power within institutions such as Bank Negara in relation to the 1MDB scandal.

Anwar had also called for Azhar to allow a debate on the issue in Parliament as it involved Bank Negara under the leadership of former governor Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz, who allegedly approved a US$1bil transfer after her husband Datuk Dr Tawfiq Ayman was said to have been bribed.

Tawfiq has denied the allegation.

Azhar told the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday that after going through the motion, he found that the matter concerning Leissner’s court statement did not meet the requirement to be brought before Parliament as the issues were too general and non-specific.

However, issues concerning Bank Negara in relation to the 1MDB scandal and revelations made about the financial institution under Zeti did meet the criteria.

“I find that this matter meets the three requirements as it is specific, is concerning public interest and must be expedited.

“I allow this issue to be negotiated in the Special Chamber where I myself will chair the meeting,” said Azhar.

When further questioned by Anwar and Mohamad Sabu (PH-Kota Raja) why the matter would not be debated in the House and instead be heard in the Special Chamber meeting, Azhar said the meeting can also be followed by members of the public online.

“It is open to the public to follow and by bringing it to the Special Chamber, it will not interfere with the order of the meeting in the Dewan Rakyat,” the Speaker said.