Daim: I amassed my wealth through legitimate businesses

KUALA LUMPUR: Former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin (pic) says he has amassed his wealth through legitimate business activities long before his entry into politics.

He said he was a “fairly successful and wealthy businessman” whose involvement in business was the subject of books and articles prior to his appointment as a minister.

“I have always owned assets and properties overseas since the 1970s,” he said in his supporting affidavit filed together with an application by him and his family members for leave to commence judicial review to challenge the probe against them by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

Daim, 85, said his background in business has always been in the public domain and he stood to gain more wealth had he not joined politics.

“If I had stayed in business and done nothing to actively grow these assets, the value of my liquid stock holdings alone would be worth over RM50bil today.

“That is my personal cost today in my decision to join the government.

“As the numbers above show, my decision to join the government and serve my country came at a great financial loss to myself and my family,” he added.

On Wednesday, Daim and his family filed the application to take the MACC to court. In the application, Daim and his wife Toh Puan Na’imah Abdul Khalid, 66, named the MACC and the public prosecutor as the first and second respondents respectively.

Apart from Daim and Na’imah, other applicants were their four children – Asnida, 62, Md Wira Dani, 45, Muhammed Amir Zainuddin, 28, and Amin Zainuddin, 25 – and the family-owned Ilham Tower, which was seized by the MACC.

Daim and his family want a court declaration that MACC’s actions were unlawful, unconstitutional and void, among others.

According to the notice of application, they are seeking a declaration that the MACC and its officers have no reasonable cause to investigate Daim and his family, which would lead to a prosecution for any offence under the MACC Act 2009 or the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.

They sought a declaration that even if any charges were to be instituted against him and his family, such charges would be unconstitutional and void because they would not receive a fair trial. The matter is fixed for hearing via online before High Court judge Justice Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh on Jan 16.