Bank Negara Malaysia will provide specific comments on the news report that Malaysia is ranked fifth among countries that have the most illicit fund outflows, said Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

“It can be many reasons but let Bank Negara provide more specific comments on that,” he told reporters after launching the Dana Belia 1Malaysia in Kuala today.

Najib, who is also the finance minister, was asked to comment on Malaysiakini report on illicit money outflows from Malaysia based on a report by US-based financial watchdog, Global Financial Integrity (GFI).

The report said the illicit money outflow from Malaysia in 2000 was RM67.7 billion (US$22.2 billion), which eight years later, ballooned to RM208 billion (US$68.2 billion).

- Bernama