Press Statement by Karpal Singh in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, 30^th December 2009:

Mahathir should make public the financial losses during his tenure as Prime Minister

Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, has stated that there is no need for a royal commission of inquiry to investigate claims in Barry Wain’s book, ‘Malaysian Maverick; Mahathir Mohamad in Turbulent Times’ that former prime minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, had squandered RM100billion during his 22 years in power. However, this does not, and cannot, mean that Dr Mahathir can allow the allegations to stand without any judicial pronouncement on his conduct. Dr Mahathir had made it a pre-condition that he would sue Barry Wain, Lim Kit Siang and others only after a royal commission of inquiry had made its findings. Laying pre-conditions obviously shows Dr Mahathir has cold feet.

Dr Mahathir should not be afraid to go to court to clear his name.

Lim Kit Siang had from Tokyo last week challenged Dr Mahathir to sue him. Dr Mahathir has yet to respond to that challenge. As former prime minister, and for that matter, the longest serving one, Dr Mahathir cannot afford not to clear his name, particularly so, when Dr Mahathir in his blog has admitted that there had been financial losses during his tenure, but the amount would not have exceeded RMl0billion. More so, having regard to this public admission, Dr Mahathir ought to take the matter to court. The allegations are serious and should not be dismissed out of hand as gigantic public funds are involved.

In any event, I call upon Dr Mahathir to make public the financial losses during his tenure as prime minister. Even the figure of RMl0billion admitted by Dr Mahathir is large enough to have affected public funds. The public have a right to know the nature and the extent of the financial losses.

* Karpal Singh, DAP National Chairman & MP for Bukit Gelugor