KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has directed the Attorney General to lead a special task force involving key enforcement agencies to strengthen coordination in tackling corporate crime, with its report to be completed within three months and made public.
Anwar said the task force would involve the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, Royal Malaysia Police, Bank Negara Malaysia, Securities Commission Malaysia, Inland Revenue Board and anti-money laundering enforcement units.
He said the report would be a government report, rather than merely an internal civil service document, released to address public concerns that enforcement action was not transparent or that certain parties could be protected.
"Let it be completed within three months. This is not a civil service report; it is a government report. Therefore, I want the report to be made public," he told the Dewan Rakyat during Prime Minister's Question Time on Tuesday (Oct 20).
He said assets seized and forfeited by enforcement agencies were channelled into the Consolidated Fund and should ultimately benefit the public.
He said overall recoveries and seizures arising from efforts by Bank Negara, the MACC and other agencies had reached RM37.53bil, adding that RM28bil of the amount was linked to the settlement of 1MDB debt.
Anwar also said existing laws were broadly sufficient for enforcement, although proposed legislation governing government-linked companies and agencies, the State-Owned Enterprises Bill, is expected to be tabled by the end of the year.
He said enforcement agencies required clear political resolve to act, adding that allegations of wrongdoing should be supported by evidence and subjected to due process.
