Daim's wife seeks return of court-impounded passport

The wife of former finance minister Daim Zainuddin has gone to the Kuala Lumpur High Court to seek the return of her passport, which was impounded pending disposal of her asset-disclosure case.

Counsel Rajesh Nagarajan, who is acting for Na'imah Abdul Khalid, confirmed the filing of the revision application.

"The application is set for mention before the Kuala Lumpur High Court (Criminal) 1 on Monday next week," the lawyer told Malaysiakini this afternoon.

On Jan 23, Na’imah’s (above) passport was ordered to be surrendered to the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court, as part of bail conditions linked to her criminal charge of alleged failure to abide by an MACC notice to disclose her assets.

The 66-year-old claimed trial to the charge framed under Section 36(2) of the MACC Act 2009.

The charge accused her of committing the offence by giving a sworn written statement that did not comply with the MACC notice under Section 36(1) of the MACC Act.

Accused of committing the offence between Dec 13 and 14 last year, she may be jailed for up to five years and fined up to RM100,000.

The assets she allegedly did not disclose involved multiple lands, properties and Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

According to the annexure attached to the charge and read out in court, among the eight properties allegedly involved are Ilham Tower in Kuala Lumpur, a house in Bukit Tunku, Kuala Lumpur, as well as six plots of land - five in Kuala Lumpur and one in Penang.

Among other alleged items involved in the non-disclosure are concerning two companies, namely Ilham Tower Sdn Bhd and Ilham Baru Sdn Bhd.

‘Not a flight risk’

The prosecution had applied for Na’imah’s passport to be surrendered to the criminal court, and for her to report to the nearest MACC office once a month.

However, defence counsel Mohd Yusof Zainal Abiden pleaded for bail at RM250,000.

The former solicitor-general pointed out that there is no need for the additional bail terms of surrendering the passport and reporting to the nearest MACC office because the accused has made it clear she will stay put to fight the charges in court.

“This is not an offence involving violence; therefore, she is not a flight risk.

“She is not going anywhere, she will stay to fight her case,” Yusof said.

Na’imah’s co-defence counsel M Puravalen pleaded for the court to not impose a passport-surrendering bail condition, because she may need to make overseas travel on short notice to accompany her husband, who has a serious medical condition.

However, Sessions Court judge Azura Alwi set bail at RM250,000 in one local surety, and ordered Na’imah to surrender her passport to the court, pending disposal of her case.

Azura also set March 22 for mention of the case.

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