Locate Notices Issued After No Response From Daim’s Children, Says MACC

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 28 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday issued notices to locate individuals against four children of the late Tun Daim Zainuddin following their failure to respond and non-compliance with two official notices previously served on them.

In a statement, the MACC said that on Feb 13, a notice to attend an examination under Section 30(1)(a) of the MACC Act 2009 was served through the law firm Messrs Zharif Nizamuddin, and that it had received a request for an extension of time from the lawyers on Feb 16.

“Subsequently, the MACC set March 11 as the final date for the named individuals to appear at the MACC office.

“However, as of Feb 26, no response had been received and attempts to contact them were unsuccessful. Their lawyers also informed that the clients were overseas and facing difficulties in being contacted,” the statement read.

The MACC clarified that a notice to locate individuals is not a form of punishment or a ‘wanted list’, nor is it intended to embarrass any party, but is instead a procedural mechanism to trace individuals and ensure their attendance to assist investigations.

The notice, it said, was issued only after multiple opportunities and reasonable timeframes had been given, including a prior extension.

The MACC stressed that all individuals are subject to the rule of law and are treated fairly regardless of background or status, and urged the four individuals to immediately present themselves at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya to assist with investigations and avoid further action under existing legal provisions.

The commission also said it had opened six new investigation papers under Section 36(1)(b) of the MACC Act 2009 against several individuals following additional information received from foreign enforcement agencies, including those from the United Kingdom, the United States and Singapore, on Nov 20 last year under ‘Op Godfather’.

“Six investigation papers have also been opened against Toh Puan Na’imah Abdul Khalid, Josephine Premla Sivaretnam and the four children of the late Tun Daim, namely Asnida, Md Wira Dani, Muhammed Amir Zainuddin and Muhammed Amin Zainuddin.

“All are being investigated for failing to fully declare their assets,” the MACC said. 

The commission said investigations found that the individuals had failed to fully comply with the notice requirements, including omissions involving the declaration of high-value assets and bank accounts.

Yesterday, the MACC said it was tracing the four children of the late Daim to assist in investigations and called on the public with relevant information to come forward.

Earlier, Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said three of the former finance minister’s children sought by the MACC are currently overseas.

He said Immigration Department records showed that the three individuals had departed the country in late January and early this month.

-- BERNAMA