GEORGE TOWN- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak should conduct a probe into the RM207 billion compensation paid by the Japanese government to Malaysia, which was to be distributed to families of about 30,000 Malayans who were recruited and forced to work on the Burmese-Thai "Death Railway" project during the World War II.

"It is better for the present prime minister to conduct the investigation," PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said, commenting on reports carried by online news portals that the Japanese government had paid the compensation in the 1990s.

However, the compensation has yet to be distributed to families of the victims.

"The RM207 billion was never disbursed through the Treasury. In all my time as the minister of finance, it was never submitted or sent through the Treasury," Anwar, who was former deputy prime minister and finance minister, said.

He said if the money had then been sent through the Treasury when he was the finance minister, he would have been fully involved. Anwar said a member of parliament from Pakatan Rakyat had raised the issue in the Dewan Rakyat before.

"The prime minister should now conduct an investigation and submit a full report to Parliament," he said.

Meanwhile, Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P. Ramasamy said Anwar will be asked to explain what happened to the RM207 billion.

He said PR had nothing to hide regarding the compensation which was reportedly paid to the Malaysian government in the 1990s when the premiership was held by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, and when Tun Daim Zainuddin and later Anwar, were finance ministers.

"We will ask Anwar to give an explanation on this," he said at a press conference today, describing the forced labour as a "colossal tragedy".

"Until now, we have not been told what has happened to the money and how it has been distributed.

"The federal government needs to come clean on the issue and a royal commission should be set up to look into the matter. We need to have all the details ... how could the money disappear into thin air, just like that?" -thesundaily

Anwar: RM207b ‘not sent through Treasury’

Joseph Tawie

| January 7, 2013

Former finance minister Anwar Ibrahim claims both Japanese and Malaysian officials "have evidence" that the money was sent to the government.

KUCHING: Former deputy prime minister-cum finance minister Anwar Ibrahim today confirmed that RM207 billion Death Railway compensation was sent to the Malaysian government but added that the money did not go through the Treasury.

“Why you have to ask the former finance ministers to explain? If the money came to the Treasury, I would surely have been informed.

“During my time as finance minister, it was not sent through the Treasury.

“But they (both Japanese and Malaysian officials) have evidence that it was sent to the government.

“So I think the then Prime Minister (Dr Mahathir Mohamad) needs to explain. What is the present Prime Minister (Najib Tun Razak) is doing?

“Najib should conduct a full investigation,” Anwar said, adding that the issue had been raised in Parliament by one of the Pakatan Rakyat MPs.

Anwar was commenting on the ‘missing’ RM207 billion paid by the Japanese government as compensation to the Malaysian government over the ‘Death Railway’ project in the 1940s.

The money was meant to be distributed to some 30,000 Malaysians who had been taken as prisoners of war and used as forced labour by the Japanese to build the Thai-Burma rail link.

According to PAS, the Japanese Embassy had recently revealed that it had in the 1990s paid a compensation of RM207 billion to the Malaysian government for families of the victims.

Today blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin had called for former finance minister Anwar and Daim Zainuddin, along with Mahathir, to explain the whereabouts of the RM207 billion.

Source:http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=4...