The spouse of a former Malaysian finance minister, closely associated with a political adversary of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, was charged on Tuesday with the failure to disclose her assets to anti-graft investigators.
Na’imah Abdul Khalid, the 66-year-old wife of businessman Daim Zainuddin, who held the position of finance minister twice from 1984 to 2001, entered a plea of not guilty at a court in Kuala Lumpur, the capital.
The alleged offense of not disclosing her assets in response to a request from the anti-graft agency reportedly took place last November, as per court documents seen by AFP.
Daim, aged 85, is a staunch supporter of the former two-time prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, a vocal critic of Ibrahim, who assumed power in 2022 with a commitment to eradicate high-level corruption.
“I have not committed any crime, and I will demonstrate this in court,” Na’imah stated outside the court. She added, “The actual crime is the conspiracy to smear my husband’s reputation. The real crime is the misuse of state power for personal gains rather than the welfare of the people.”
In a message directed at Ibrahim, she asserted that “power is transient, and those who abuse it will eventually face consequences.”
The court scheduled March 22 for the next hearing in the case, where a trial date might be established. If convicted, Na’imah could face a maximum prison term of five years and a substantial fine.
The country’s anti-graft agency is also investigating Daim, a probe he deems a “political witch-hunt.” Mahathir has similarly contended that the investigation is politically driven.
Last week, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) summoned Mahathir’s son for questioning regarding his business activities. The order is part of the MACC’s investigation based on revelations from the Panama Papers, along with his involvement in the sale and purchase of government-linked companies, according to a statement last week.
In August 2022, the MACC announced the initiation of investigations into “entities linked and named” in the Pandora and Panama Papers, exposing tax evasion by affluent individuals worldwide.
Anwar has faced allegations of utilizing the MACC investigation to target his political adversaries.
