FOREX RCI | Lawyers representing Pakatan Harapan chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad and the coalition's de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim want to know whether the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) tasked to investigate the foreign exchange losses incurred by Bank Negara has plans to call their respective clients to testify.

Mahathir's lawyer, Mohamed Haniff Khatri Abdulla, said they still do not know whether the RCI was interested to call their client or not.

"We inquired from the conducting officers and they did not want to confirm because they said it was the commissioners' decision.

"So in the next hearing, we will ask the RCI to state clearly whether they need Mahathir's attendance or otherwise. If they want, he will come, if not, then he won't come," Haniff told reporters following the conclusion of today's hearing.

Stressing that it was not his client who wanted the RCI, Haniff also stressed that it was for the RCI to decide on the witnesses to be called.

"Questions have been asked when is Tun (Mahathir) coming (but) it's not for him to decide. It's for the RCI to decide whether to call Tun or not.

"They must decide. Tell us then Tun will be here," he said.

Anwar's lawyer, Gurdial Singh Nijar, also said that they had asked the commission directly on whether they will call Anwar.

"They said 'we will let you know'. We should not have an inquiry by ambush. We should have an inquiry that is open and transparent.

"They are talking about forex losses to see whether there was transparency or not. If that's the issue, then the proceedings must also be transparent, too.

"If not, then they shouldn't be looking at other people's transparency," he added.

Meanwhile, Gurdial also lamented the RCI's failure to provide them the necessary documents related to the proceedings.

"There is a letter pointed out by the chairperson which seems to affect Anwar (in relation to the) losses.

"We asked parts of the letter that were relevant (but) they refused to give us the letter or have sight of the letter or the paragraph of the letter.

"This doesn't seem quite fair. I hope the commissioners will recognise the unfairness and revise their decision," said Gurdial.

Echoing this, Haniff questioned the kind of treatment the lawyers were purportedly receiving as counsels for interested parties in the proceedings.

Under Section 18 of the Commission of Enquiry Act, Haniff said the law allows them to appear for their clients once it has been shown that they are concerned parties in the proceedings.

"And the RCI decided we are, that's how we were given the position to appear as his (Mahathir's) counsel.

"The duty of the inquiry is to ensure we are at par with everyone else. A document given to the panel, similarly, we too should have access."

Acknowledging that they were now being given copies of the witness statements after they were read out, Haniff, however, pointed out how they were not given copies of other documents.

"What sort of inquiry is this? Even kindergarten fares better.

"We are some sort of conducting officers to assist the inquiry but what do we get?

"If this is the nature (of the proceedings), (we should) ask whether we need to have an RCI on this RCI," quipped Haniff.