IT would be farcical of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into the foreign exchange losses at Bank Negara in the 1980s not to ask the deputy prime minister and finance minister at that time to testify, said Anwar Ibrahim. 

The jailed PKR de facto leader said it is crucial for the ongoing RCI into Bank Negara’s forex losses to call former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and himself to testify. 

“I am astonished that the chairman Sidek Hassan said they have ‘yet to decide’ whether to call me. 

“Considering that I was the finance minister at the material time, it cannot be very difficult to make this decision.

“It would be farcical if this inquiry is concluded without hearing my testimony,” he said in a statement. 

The RCI was formed to determine if there was any criminal element in the foreign exchange losses the country suffered in the late 1980s.

Proceedings of the RCI are being held at Court of Appeal, Palace of Justice, Putrajaya

The six-member panel of the commission is chaired by Petronas chairman Sidek.

Anwar said during the RCI, there were numerous references made to him. 

“Repeated references have been made to me in the course of the evidence so far recorded, which also makes it imperative that I am allowed to testify. 

“The commission has on several occasions said it wants to get to the truth of the matter and the best way is to allow Dr Mahathir and myself as critical witnesses.”

Anwar added that the proper function and purpose of the RCI is not to draw premature conclusions or cast aspersions upon anyone, but to establish the truth. – September 2, 2017.