KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has confirmed that it had recorded a statement from former prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob to assist in a probe into the use of RM700 million in funds spent on publicity and promotion during the previous administrations.
In a statement, the graft busters said Ismail had been called in for questioning today.
However, the MACC did not reveal the location of the questioning session, which fell on the same day it collected statements from the direct family members of former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin for a different case.
In the same media statement, the MACC said Daim’s wife Toh Puan Na’imah Abdul Khalid, and her two sons Muhammad Amin Zainuddin Daim and Muhammad Amir Zainuddin Daim, had their statements recorded at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya.
The MACC said the trio were called to give their statements to ascertain the values of some of the high-value assets held domestically and abroad under the companies belonging to them in relation to the investigation into Daim.
It said a notice was served to Daim under Section 36(1)(a) of the MACC Act 2009, on June 7, 2023, while his family members were served notices under Section 36(1)(b) of the MACC Act 2009.
“As have been stated in the MACC press release dated December, 30 2024, investigations commenced in February last year based on information from the Pandora Papers,” it said.
“Investigations into the assets held by Tun Daim are ongoing.”
Last Monday, MACC Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki confirmed that he would summon a former prime minister to testify regarding the RM700 million expenditure.
He said that the officials in the former prime minister’s office who were involved in the expenditure of funds would also be called.
According to Azam, this is to find out how the money was spent for promotion and publicity purposes to promote the government’s achievements in the period from 2020 to 2022.
Meanwhile, Na’imah and her two sons arrived at the MACC headquarters here at 10.10am today, accompanied by two lawyers.
The trio were summoned to answer questions by graft investigators over the recent raid and seizure of the Ilham Tower in Kuala Lumpur.
Na’imah was reported as saying earlier that a campaign of misinformation and misperception is being spread, suggesting that her husband, Daim, is wealthy and therefore corrupt.
She added that he was a successful man even before becoming a member of the government some four decades ago.
Na’imah also said such logic meant that every successful businessman in Malaysia would be subject to the same accusation. – January 10, 2024