Widow of Malaysia’s Daim Zainuddin insists on case against late ex-minister to go on

Naimah Khalid says Daim wanted ‘his day in court’ to clear his name in a case slammed by their family as ‘politically motivated’

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Then Malaysian Finance Minister Daim Zainuddin chairs an Asean meeting in Kuala Lumpur in 2001. Photo: AFP

Published: 4:11pm, 19 Nov 2024

The widow of former finance minister Daim Zainuddin on Tuesday issued a defiant challenge to Malaysian prosecutors to continue pressing their corruption charges against her recently deceased husband, saying Daim had wanted “his day in court” and was confident of clearing his name.

Daim, who died last Wednesday aged 86, was awaiting trial on charges of failure to declare his assets, which his estate claims to be “frivolous, malicious and politically motivated”.

A key ally of former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, Daim served as finance minister from 1984 to 1991 and again from 1999 to 2001.

Together, they steered Malaysia’s economic boom during the 1980s, a period critics argue was riddled with rampant crony capitalism that enriched Mahathir’s close associates.

Since Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim came to power, his long-time rival Mahathir and allies of the 99-year-old former leader have found themselves under the intensifying scrutiny of Malaysia’s graft officials.

Wife of ex-finance minister Daim Zainuddin, Naimah Khalid, speaks to the media in Kuala Lumpur in January. Photo: EPA-EFE

In a letter by Daim’s widow released through her lawyers on Tuesday, Naimah Khalid said Daim wanted the charge against him to be heard in court.