Written by Free Malaysia Today, NST
Daim was successful even before joining govt, says wife
Former finance minister Daim Zainuddin was a successful man even before becoming a member of the government some four decades ago, says his wife Naimah Khalid.
“It’s public knowledge that Daim was a very successful businessman prior to joining the government in 1984. He was already widely referred to in the media as a tycoon and multi-millionaire before taking public office 40 years ago.
“Now, a campaign of disinformation and misperception is being relentlessly held to give the depiction that he is corrupt just because he is very wealthy,” she told reporters before entering the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission headquarters here for questioning.
Naimah said such logic meant that every successful businessman in Malaysia would be subject to the same accusation.
“We know that at the end of the day, we will be vindicated,” she added.
Last month, MACC seized the 60-storey Ilham Tower, reportedly belonging to Daim and his family, under Section 38(1) of the MACC Act 2009 which deals with the seizure of immovable property.
MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki later revealed that the agency was probing Daim for alleged corruption and money laundering.
Daim has since denied any corrupt act or wrongdoing, labelling the probe as “nothing short of a political witch-hunt”.
Naimah today claimed that her husband was being “persecuted” for his success as a businessman, tarnishing his good name.
She also alleged that Anwar Ibrahim had a vendetta against her husband, saying the prime minister had accused Daim of possessing illegal riches without furnishing any evidence.
She said the office of the prime minister should never be used to damage the reputation of individuals through insinuations or thinly veiled accusations of wrongdoing to settle old political scores.
“We know Anwar might not like Daim, but surely he should respect the principle of innocence unless guilt is proven in a court of law.
“Today it is my family, tomorrow who knows who will be victimised,” she said. Written by Free Malaysia Today
Sanusi hits back: Why hasn't MACC probed lobbyist behind water concession agreement issue?
Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor has questioned why the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is not investigating an individual who had lobbied on behalf of a company for a water treatment concession project in Kedah three years ago.
The Kedah menteri besar said this should be the focus of the anti-graft watchdog's attention instead of the Kedah Football Association (KFA).
Elaborating on the water concession issue, Sanusi claimed the company in question had wanted the state government to continue the concession.
The company, he claimed, had entrusted an individual to lobby for the concession renewal on their behalf.
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"However, there was no direct deal (between the state government and the individual). We have no idea what promises the person had made to them (the company)," Sanusi told the New Straits Times when contacted.
For the record, the Kedah government did not renew the concession agreement for five water treatment plants in the state and a water supply concession for Langkawi island after they expired in 2020.
The decision not to renew the concessions for the two companies was announced by the then-Pakatan Harapan state government in early 2020.
The concessions for the water treatment plants on the Kedah mainland and the water supply to Langkawi expired in July and November 2020, respectively.
On Sunday, Sanusi had claimed that the company had donated RM6 million to the KFA in hopes of securing the contract's renewal. However, he said the state government did not renew the contract as it was too costly.
The company had then demanded for the RM6 million to be returned.
Commenting further, Sanusi, who is also KFA president, stressed that MACC should be questioning the individual who was appointed by the company concerned, instead of KFA officials.
"They (MACC) should have arrested the individual who had scammed the company, not the trio (the KFA officials).
"They (the KFA officials) were arrested and are publicly shamed just because they are my friends.
"The objective is to paint a bad image of me. This has nothing to do with corruption but merely to create a (bad) perception," he claimed.
Sanusi was responding to a report earlier today that MACC would be summoning him over claims of graft involving over RM6 million.
Sources claimed that MACC launched the probe after receiving a report from a contractor who had claimed to have been promised contracts in the state if funds were channelled into the football association's account.
"Based on investigation, there is an important high-positioned individual in the state government and in the football association who had promised to grant construction projects and services as a return to the contractors for channeling funds.
"However, after these contractors had done so to the football association's account, they did not receive any projects as promised by the individual involved," the source was quoted as saying.
The source had claimed that the contractor, believing he had been cheated, subsequently lodged a report to the MACC.
MACC Investigation Division senior director Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hashim had confirmed that the MACC would be calling up the menteri besar as part of the probe.
On Friday, it was reported that the MACC had remanded KFA chief executive officer Zulkifli Che Haron and three individuals, including two consultants aged between 40 and 60 years, to assist in the investigation of a case involving solicitation and acceptance of bribes amounting to RM6 million.
The funds were allegedly a reward for helping a company owner secure construction project tenders for a race track and projects to manage, operate, and maintain five water treatment facilities in Kedah.
Sanusi had previously claimed that the issue stemmed from the Kedah government's decision to not renew a company's water concession project despite the company having paid RM6 million to the KFA.
He had also claimed that he was the real target of the MACC. Written by NST
Written by Free Malaysia Today, NST
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