KUALA LUMPUR: Client confidentiality or secrecy must be upheld at all cost, said the Association of Banks in Malaysia. Its chairman, Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar, said it was a fundamental aspect of a bank-customer relationship.
"It forms the main pillar of integrity and confidence in the banking system. It must be preserved and cannot be compromised.
"Section 97(1) of the Banking and Financial Institutions Act 1989 (Bafia) is very clear in prohibiting a director or officer of any licensed institution or any person who has access to any record whatsoever from giving, producing, divulging, revealing, publishing or disclosing to any person any information or document relating to the affairs or account of a customer without the customer's consent," he said yesterday.
"Banks, not just in Malaysia but worldwide, have zero tolerance towards any breach of banking secrecy. We will not hesitate to dismiss any employee found to have breached banking secrecy provision immediately."
Public Bank Berhad former credit department clerk Johari Mohamad, 41, had been charged with abetting Parti Keadilan Rakyat strategic director Mohd Rafizi Ramli to disclose four confidential banking documents in relation to the National Feedlot Corporation (NFCorp) issue.
Johari had claimed trial.
Rafizi was arrested on Wednesday and later charged at the Sessions Court under Bafia.
He allegedly revealed four Public Bank Berhad customer profile documents pertaining to the balance summary of the National Feedlot Corporation Sdn Bhd, National Meat and Livestock Sdn Bhd, Agroscience Industries Sdn Bhd and Datuk Seri Mohamad Salleh Ismail.
Salleh is the chairman of NFCorp and the husband of former women, family and community development minister, Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.
The charge, under Section 97 of Act carries a maximum jail sentence of three years or fine up to RM3 million, or both.
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