Daim’s wife slams ‘slander campaign’

PUTRAJAYA: Tun Daim Zainuddin was a successful businessman even before he joined the government in 1984 and is now persecuted for his success, with claims that he is corrupt, says his wife.

Toh Puan Naimah Khalid, who was questioned by graft investigators yesterday, said her husband, who was twice finance minister, was already widely referred to as a tycoon in the media and a multimillionaire before taking public office 40 years ago.

“His success has now been made an excuse to tarnish his reputation and paint him as a corrupt person.

“A campaign of disinformation and misperception is being spread, suggesting that just because he is wealthy, he is therefore corrupt,” she told reporters before entering the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters.

A calm-looking Naimah, clad in pink batik baju kurung, arrived at around 10.15am along with their two sons, who were also summoned by graft investigators.

Under investigation: Naimah with one of her sons (right) entering the MACC’s headquarters in Putrajaya. — GLENN GUAN/The Star

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She addressed the media briefly by reading out a statement before walking into the building.

Naimah said that her family had extended their cooperation to the MACC as required by the law, “even though we question the motive of the investigation”.

She said she had received a call on Monday night to be present the next day for questioning.

“However, I asked if it could be done on another date due to the short notice,” she said.

Lawyers Rajesh Nagarajan and Sachpreetraj Sohanpal, who had arrived earlier, accompanied the three.

Rajesh said afterwards that his clients were disappointed that the MACC had not informed them of the offence for which they were being investigated.

“How can you investigate someone and ask them for details when you are not even telling them what is the offence (they allegedly committed).

“The entire process is a giant fishing expedition. They (MACC) are trying to fish for information to charge Daim. That is what they are trying to do,” he alleged.

ALSO READ: 'Campaign of misperception' being spread, says Daim's wife Naimah Khalid

Last month, the MACC seized the family-owned Menara Ilham.

The MACC has said that investigations carried out against Daim are based on the law and information from the leaked Pandora Papers.

It explained that as part of the investigation, a notice was issued on June 7, last year under Section 36 (1) (a) of the MACC Act 2009 which was sent to Daim.

Following the seizure of Menara Ilham, Daim hit out at the MACC investigations, claiming that it was nothing short of a political witch-hunt due to the “animus” of the Prime Minister.