On Monday, Malaysia formally charged a former finance minister for violating anti-corruption laws by not complying with a notice to declare assets, as part of a broader crackdown on corruption involving influential political and business figures.
Daim Zainuddin, 85, a close ally of former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, pleaded not guilty. If convicted, Daim could face a maximum jail term of five years and a fine of up to 100,000 ringgit ($21,159.54).
Daim, who served as finance minister from 1984 to 1991 and from 1999 to 2001, appeared in court on Monday in a wheelchair, with his lawyer citing health issues when requesting bail.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who campaigned on a reformist platform, has pledged to address high-level corruption. However, he has faced accusations of using the country’s anti-graft agency to target political rivals. Anwar maintains that he does not interfere in the agency’s investigations.
Daim’s charges stem from an investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), initiated based on information from the Pandora Papers—a massive leak of financial records in 2021 that exposed offshore assets held by politicians and public figures globally.
Last month, the MACC seized Ilham Tower, a 60-storey building in Kuala Lumpur, as part of its investigation into Daim.
Daim’s wife, Na’imah Abdul Khalid, was also charged in court last week for failing to disclose assets to the anti-corruption commission. She pleaded not guilty.
Daim has characterized the probe against him as a “political witch-hunt” led by the anti-graft agency and Anwar, who succeeded him as finance minister in 1991.
The MACC stated last month that it acted independently within the law when initiating investigations against Daim in February 2023.
Anwar and Mahathir have been engaged in a long-standing on-and-off rivalry, marked by Anwar’s imprisonment for sodomy and corruption. He was later pardoned and became prime minister in 2022, pledging to combat corruption and focus on the economy.
By FCCT Editorial Team
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