17/1/07 (Daily Express News)   -  Kuala Lumpur: Former Malaysian Deputy Premier Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday demanded the Government investigate a RM3.15 billion Russian fighter jet deal.

Anwar, who served as Finance Minister before being sacked and jailed in 1998, also said that Malaysia had lost RM31.3 billion in foreign exchange speculation in the 1990s.

The allegations are the latest from the one-time heir apparent to former Premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad who is launching himself back onto the Malaysian political scene ahead of general elections due to be held by 2009.

Malaysia has yet to receive the aircraft.

The deal includes a plan to put a Malaysian astronaut into space and palm oil sales to Russia.

Anwar said a former Cabinet Minister received a RM108 million commission for his role in the 2003 deal to purchase 18 Russian Sukhoi Su-30MK fighter jets for the Royal Malaysian Air Force. "Why do you need a facilitator when you have the Treasury and the Defence Ministry involved? Why do you need an agent when generals are going back and forth to negotiate the deal?" he asked.

"It is clearly, blatantly corruption. It is certainly not transparent, and very unusual."

The role of the former Minister surfaced in March 2005 after a director of the company filed a legal suit to prevent his dismissal.

Mohammed Zainuri Mohammed Idrus claimed he was being sacked to prevent him from exposing the details of the Sukhoi deal.

"All the small issues are dealt with in the media but the big ones, there is an effort to cover them up. This is worrying," he said.

In his other allegation, Anwar said Bank Negara had lost RM33.8 billion in forex speculation from 1989-1993, but that it managed to recoup RM 2.5 billion in 1990.- Reuters, AFP