Power is fleeting, Daim’s wife tells Anwar

Power is fleeting, Daim’s wife tells Anwar

Naimah Khalid accuses the prime minister of 'vengefully pursuing old political rivals' with 'concocted charges'.

Former finance minister Daim Zainuddin’s wife Naimah Khalid was charged under Section 36(2) of the MACC Act today with failing to comply with the terms of an asset declaration notice from the anti-graft agency.
PETALING JAYA:
Former finance minister Daim Zainuddin’s wife, Naimah Khalid, today reminded Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim that his position is not permanent, after she was charged with failing to comply with the terms of an asset declaration notice from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

In a statement, she claimed Anwar was “vengefully pursuing old political rivals” with “concocted charges”, and accused him of influencing the courts to drop charges against his allies.

“… I say this to you, Anwar Ibrahim, that power is brief and there is always a reckoning for those who abuse it,” she said.

Adding that she had committed no crime, Naimah said she would prove her innocence in court.

“The real crime is the coordinated plot to tarnish my husband’s reputation and exact political revenge and retribution against him and our family,” she said.

“The real crime is the emasculation and manipulation of key national institutions such as MACC and the attorney-general’s chambers as weapons in a political vendetta.

“The real crime is the wielding of state power for personal ends and not for the benefit of the people.”

Naimah was charged in the Kuala Lumpur sessions court today with failing to comply with an MACC notice requiring the declaration of assets such as companies, several plots of land, as well as two vehicles.

If found guilty, she could face a jail term of up to five years and a fine of not more than RM100,000. She was granted bail of RM250,000 with one surety and ordered to surrender her passport to the court.

Earlier this month, MACC summoned Naimah and her sons, Amir and Amin, to provide information on assets belonging to the family.

Naimah had previously hit out at a report linking her, Amir and Amin to an offshore trust account said to possess up to US$52.5 million in assets as of 2020.

She maintained that the family’s offshore assets were never a secret and that they were the result of legitimate business activities and investments before Daim’s involvement in politics in 1984.

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