Malaysia’s late former finance minister Daim gets acquittal; prosecutors to proceed with case against his wife

SINGAPORE: A Malaysian court has acquitted former finance minister Daim Zainuddin of failing to declare assets following his death on Nov 13, but prosecutors will proceed with the case against his wife Na’imah Abdul Khalid.

“Yes, (the case) will proceed as usual,” Deputy Public Prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin told CNA on Wednesday (Nov 20) when asked about the charge against Na’imah, 67, for failing to declare assets.

Her hearing is set for January 15 next year, according to Mr Wan Shaharuddin. 

She has pleaded not guilty to deliberately giving a written statement under oath that did not comply with the terms of a notice from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). If convicted, she faces up to five years’ jail and a fine of up to RM100,000 (US$22,360). 

The late Daim was also charged in January with failing to declare assets that are said to include 38 companies and 25 properties in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Pahang, Negeri Sembilan, Perak and Kedah, as well as several luxury vehicles including a Rolls Royce, three Mercedes Benz and a Jaguar.

The undeclared assets include the multi-million dollar Ilham Tower, which was seized by the MACC. Daim pleaded not guilty. 

On Wednesday, the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court granted a full acquittal to Daim after the prosecution applied to withdraw all charges in light of his death.

Mr Wan Shaharuddin told the court that it was not practical to proceed with a case against a deceased person. 

“Who would pay the fine and serve the sentence (if he was found guilty)?” he added, as reported by Free Malaysia Today. 

A day earlier, his wife Na’imah had urged the attorney-general and the MACC not to drop the charge against Daim, stating that the trial should proceed in order to clear the allegations against him. 

This was reiterated by Daim’s lawyer Dr Gurdial Singh Nijar in court.

“As he lay sick in bed, he expressed his need to clear his name from what he perceived as a baseless charge against him for whatever reason he couldn’t explain,” Dr Singh was quoted as saying by The Star. 

Sessions Court judge Azura Alwi ordered his acquittal.  

Before his death, Daim had described the probe against him as a “political witch-hunt” led by the anti-graft agency and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. 

Daim, who was finance minister from 1984 to 1991 and from 1999 to 2001 under former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, died at the age of 86 on Nov 13 at Petaling Jaya’s Assunta Hospital.