FORMER finance minister Daim Zainuddin is being investigated under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Act 2009 and the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Act 2001 (AMLATFPUAA), the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) said today.

“Correcting the facts” on Daim’s claim that the anti-graft agency’s investigation against him and his family was a “political witch hunt”, MACC said the probe into Daim, who was finance minister from 1984 to 1991, started in February this year, based on information from the Pandora Papers.

The Pandora Papers refers to the massive leak of financial documents that revealed offshore financial activities of politicians, celebrities, business leaders, and other influential individuals around the world.

The leak was first reported by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) in October 2021.

MACC said as part of the investigation, on June 7 it sent a notice under section 36(1)(a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 (Act 694) to Daim requesting that a written and sworn statement be made by him to declare all his assets, whether inside or outside the country, within 30 days from the date of the notice.

MACC, in a statement today, said Daim had applied for five extensions to the request and was granted the extensions on July 6, August 10, September 11, October 11 and November 14 to declare his assets.

“As part of the investigation process, the public prosecutor had issued a notice of seizure on Ilham Tower on December 18 under section 38(1) of the MACC Act 2009 (seizure of immovable property),” it said.

MACC has never at any point raised or issued any official statement accusing Daim of committing an offence, it added.

It stated that based on the legal principle of presumption of innocence, “anyone being investigated for any offences is innocent until proven guilty, and he has every opportunity to clear his name if the case is brought to the court of law”.

Brushing aside claims the investigation could be politically motivated, MACC reiterated that it is an independent commission which “acts in an objective and professional manner according to stipulated laws and regulations, in addition to being monitored by five independent oversight bodies”. – December 30, 2023.