Daim’s wife applies for return of her passport

PETALING JAYA: Toh Puan Na’imah Abdul Khalid, the wife of former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin, has applied to the Kuala Lumpur High Court to seek the return of her passport which was impounded pending the disposal of her asset disclosure case.

Her lawyer, Rajesh Nagaran, confirmed the filing of the revision application.

“The application is set for hearing before the Kuala Lumpur High Court (Criminal) 1 next Monday,” said the lawyer yesterday.

On Jan 23, Na’imah’s passport was ordered to be surrendered to the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court as part of bail conditions linked to her criminal charge of alleged failure to abide by an MACC notice to disclose her assets.

The 66-year-old claimed trial to the charge framed under Section 36(2) of the MACC Act 2009.

According to the charge sheet, Na’imah had intentionally given a written statement under oath that did not comply with the terms of notice under Section 36(1)(b) of the MACC Act 2009, whereby she did not declare assets as stated in Appendix A.

The assets listed are two companies, Ilham Tower Sdn Bhd and Ilham Baru Sdn Bhd; two luxury cars; and eight properties – Menara Ilham in Jalan Binjai, a house in Persiaran Bukit Tunku, four land lots in Bukit Tunku, and a house in Taman Tun Dr Ismail – all in Kuala Lumpur; and one lot in Penang.

Deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Feisal Mohd Azmi offered bail at RM500,000 and asked the court to impose additional conditions on Na’imah for her passport to be surrendered and for her to report to the MACC office monthly.

However, Na’imah’s lawyer Datuk Mohd Yusof Zainal Abiden, a former solicitor-general II, argued that the bail was too high and his client was not a flight risk.

“There’s no fact to support why Na’imah needs to surrender her passport,” he said.

Sessions Court Judge Azura Alwi fixed bail at RM250,000 in one surety, and ordered Na’imah to surrender her passport pending the disposal of the case.

The court fixed March 22 for mention.

Na’imah posted bail.