Thursday 28 Mar 2024
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This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on June 20, 2018

KUALA LUMPUR: Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng says he will continue to expose the previous government’s financial scandals as instructed by the prime minister.

Guan Eng was responding to a statement by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim during an Astro Awani interview yesterday, in which the Parti Keadilan Rakyat de facto leader said that Guan Eng should leave the responsibility of exposing the alleged wrongdoings and misappropriations of the previous government to other ministers or agencies.

Anwar said he had told Guan Eng that the role of the finance minister is a sensitive one, as every statement made will have a direct impact on investors.

In response, Guan Eng said that he does not have the authority to instruct other ministers to expose the financial scandals of the previous government.

“I am not the prime minister and I don’t have the power to give instructions to other ministers to expose financial scandals that happened under the purview of the Finance Ministry,” Guan Eng said in a statement.

“It would be misplaced of me to instruct another minister to expose the previous government’s financial scandals that took place in the finance ministry, which is under my portfolio,” he said.

“The rakyat do not want a government that hides and covers up any more. When I met Anwar, he agreed to this. My ministry will continue to expose all the financial scandals within the 100 days as per what has been instructed by the prime minister.

“We have to be brave in telling the truth,” he said.

Guan Eng said he had explained to Anwar that all the financial scandals related to 1Malaysia Development Bhd and other scandals that were exposed to the press were done under the instruction of Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Guan Eng said that he appreciated Anwar’s input, and that he welcomes feedback and views on how to save the country’s economy.

“I have taken my own initiative to meet with Anwar a few times, to explain about the current economic situation in the country and the financial scandals that have worsened the national debt,” he said.

 

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