The Home Ministry has been urged to release a book on former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, which has been in the Customs Department custody since November.

NONE Bukit Bendera MP Liew Chin Tong said the ministry should have decided on the fate of the book - Malaysian Maverick: Mahathir Mohammad in Turbulent Times by Barry Wain - by now.

"How much longer does the ministry need to study the book?" Liew asked in a statement today.

“It only took me three days to finish reading the book despite the busy schedule. With officials whose only job is to decide whether or not to recommend a ban, there is just no reason to let the matter drag on."

Liew said Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein should order for the book to be released immediately as the deadline for the second 60-day Customs Department order to withhold the book would expire soon.

On Jan 28, Home Ministry deputy secretary-general Ahmad Fuad Ab Aziz said the ministry decided to extend its study of the book by another 60 days.

800 copies withheld

A total of 800 copies of the book were confiscated in Port Klang last November to facilitate the study. Many Malaysians had to source the book from neighbouring countries.

The book by Wain, a former Asian Wall Street Journal editor, claims to be a definitive account of Mahathir's years in power and offers a critical study of his policies.

Among others, the book claims that Mahathir squandered RM100 billion on financial scandals during his 22-year tenure as premier.

"Based on incomplete public information, RM15 billion was a conservative estimate of Perwaja's losses. Similarly, Bank Bumiputra dropped at least RM10 billion. Bank Negara's foreign exchange forays drained perhaps RM23 billion from Malaysia's reserves. The cost of trying to push up the price of tin seemed paltry by comparison, maybe RM1 billion," said Wain.

"The total, RM50 billion or so, could have easily doubled if a professional accounting has been made, factoring in all the invisibles, from unrecorded writeoffs to blatant embezzlement and opportunity costs ."

Wain also claims that the Putra World Trade Centre - Umno's headquarters - were funded by taxpayers after the party's loans were written off from a government owned bank.

Mahathir had denied allegations about PWTC and threatened to sue the Wain over the his claims of financial impropriety.