'Family's foreign assets transparent' - Daim’s wife

SHAH ALAM - Former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin’s wife said that her family has always been transparent about owning assets abroad, acquired through "business activities and investments," predating her husband's entry into politics.

In a statement from lawyer Rajesh Nagarajan, who represents Daim's family, Toh Puan Na’imah Abdul Khalid addressed a news report from an online portal claiming the existence of 'leaked documents,' asserting an offshore trust worth hundreds of millions owned by their family.

“This is reported in a sensational manner, intended to impute some form of wrongdoing or possession of ill-gotten wealth,” she said.

She also said that her family has made no secret of the fact that they own assets abroad.

“These were the product of legitimate business and investment activities long before Daim joined politics in 1984.

“Indeed, no real suggestion of criminality is made by the authors of the report, which begs the question why such a report was published at all.

“Surely, in reporting news, it is neither ethical nor right to taint anyone’s reputation by incorporating innuendoes and imputations, unsupported by evidence,” she said.

She also raised the question, "Doesn't this amount to character defamation disguised as journalism?"

“In the absence of wrongdoing, is it justified to discuss anyone’s private financial holdings, whether those details are correct or not, in a manner calculated to suggest serious impropriety of some kind?” she questioned.

Na'imah also said that this latest report will, as it is undoubtedly intended, fan the fires of prejudice, rumour and supposition against her or any person in her situation.

The news report reportedly mentioned that documents from the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) indicate that the ex-finance minister's family benefits from a substantial trust holding investments in real estate in the United Kingdom and the United States.

This revelation further deepens the ongoing investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), triggered by the Pandora Papers disclosures, which connect Daim and his associates to offshore entities valued at a minimum of 31 million US dollars.