Bank Negara governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz hopes the 1MDB probe will be completed before she leaves office on April 30.

By doing this, she said it would give her successor a clean slate.

“Well, that's what I have indicated. That's what my efforts are directed – to bring a conclusion to it during my term in office. This way, I can give the next governor a clean slate,” she said.

She was asked if she was hopeful that the 1MDB issue would be concluded before her tenure ended.

Meanwhile, Zeti was tight-lipped on the status of the central bank's validation process on 1MDB's “cannot repatriate” foreign fund claim.

1MDB has refused to observe Bank Negara's instruction to repatriate its foreign fund as it had utilised the money.

BNM had revoked three permissions it granted to 1MDB under the Exchange Control Act 1953, for investments abroad totalling US$1.83 billion.

1MDB said the money had either been spent or earmarked for debt transfer, indicating that it would be unable to repatriate the sum.

“I can't discuss this because the matter has not been concluded yet. It would be premature for me to say anything at this stage,” said Zeti when attending the Asia School of Business groundbreaking ceremony for a new campus.

Decline in trust

Meanwhile, although the Edelman Malaysia trust barometer study today revealed a decline in the trust of public in government and its institutions, Zeti believed BNM still enjoyed the trust and respect of the people and looked to it to maintain stability in our country in a very challenging time.

“I have always directed significant efforts towards strengthening the capability, strength and resilience of the central bank.

“We have demonstrated time and time again policies directed at our vulnerabilities. We have demonstrated that we have a track record of showing results.

“We never had a disruption in credit flows. This is important as business are not deprived of credit activities, unlike in other places where credit flows are disrupted and liquidity not provided in a satisfactory manner,” she stressed.

The trust barometer study was conducted by Edelman Malaysia. 33,000 people in 28 countries participated, and the results for this year were presented earlier today.

It revealed in Malaysia, trust in the government had fallen seven points to 39 percent among the general population and 11 points to 34 percent among the informed public.