Dinar not for Trading

“That is the basis of introducing the dinar and dirham,” he told reporters after chairing the state exco meeting here yesterday.

He added that Perak would have no problem cooperating with Kelantan, which was attempting to use the gold dinar and silver dirham in all its transactions, including for paying civil servants’ salaries.

Dr Zambry was commenting on news report that the Kelantan government was keen to cooperate with Perak to popularise the use of the dinar and dirham.

Kelantan economic planning, finance and welfare committee chairman Datuk Husam Musa was reported to have made the offer after Perak announced its plan to introduce the currency.

Dr Zambry said the gold dinar and silver dirham should not be used as a medium of transaction as it could cause problems to the country’s economic system.

Moreover, he added, the Federal Government had set a medium of exchange in the country, that was through monetary currency rather than through gold or silver.

Meanwhile, in KOTA BARU, Hussam said Kelantan may pay half of the salaries of its state assemblymen in gold dinar and silver dirham.

He told the state assembly yesterday that the proposal would be forwarded to the state Treasury for its and the state government’s consideration.

However, he added that the proposed payment in dinar and dirham would only be made to assemblymen who chose the new mode.

Those who disagreed would continue to be paid their full salary in Malaysian ringgit, he said in a supplementary question from Arifa­billah Ibrahim (PAS – Dabong).