KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he is open to the idea of a unified cryptocurrency for Muslim countries.
As a matter of fact, Dr Mahathir added, Malaysia had mooted the idea of a common currency for Islamic nations a long time ago, but the big powers had then stood in the way of that proposal.
This is because when their currencies are used by others, it gave them added strength, he told the media as he was leaving a roundtable session themed “The Priority of Development & The Challenges” in conjunction with the Kuala Lumpur Summit 2019 yesterday.
Dr Mahathir, Turkish President Recep Tayipp Erdogan and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani spoke at the session which was moderated by Summit deputy chairman Tun Ahmad Sarji Abd Hamid.
“It is the first time we hear Iran and also Turkey are of the opinion that if we do not have American dollars, we can use our own currency or one common currency that we (Muslim nations) can create if we agree,” Dr Mahathir said.
Dr Mahathir was asked for his reaction on Rouhani’s suggestion at the roundtable on having a unified cryptocurrency for Muslim countries.
The prime minister also said Malaysia was willing to work with Iran and Turkey in technological fields as they were much more advanced in these compared to other Muslim countries. – Dec 20, 2019, Bernama
