Daim’s exclusion from M’sia’s richest list queried

PETALING JAYA: PKR Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin has questioned why former Finance Minister Tun Daim Zainuddin was left out of the list of Malaysia’s 40 richest individuals compiled by Malaysian Business Magazine.

He said that it was “very weird” because public perception was that Daim and his son Datuk Wira Dani Daim belonged to the ultra-rich group.

Shamsul Iskandar pointed out that former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s eldest son Datuk Mokhzani Mahathir had been slotted in ninth place with assets worth RM4.22bil.

He added that such lists promoted transparency because members of the public could scrutinise the various companies, including Mokhza­ni’s, if they wished to.

“Why did ‘Malaysian Business’ not go into Daim’s assets? Is there something it wants to hide?

“As MP, I need to question this,” Shamsul Iskandar said, adding that he was sure that Daim and his son belonged in that group.

In the magazine’s Feb 16 issue, it reported that the combined wealth of Malaysia’s 40 richest individuals had surged to RM215.82bil as of Jan 18 this year.

It said that this was a 11.73% rise from RM194.86bil a year ago, with Hong Kong-based Robert Kuok topping the list with assets worth RM54.48bil.

Businessman Tan Sri T. Ananda Krishnan came next with assets worth RM33.19bil, maintaining his hold on second position since 2004.

Public Bank Group’s founder and chairman, Tan Sri Teh Hong Piow, also maintained third position on the list with assets that were worth RM18.07bil.