Malaysia chases US$1 billion in global assets linked to Daim Zainuddin

Malaysia’s anti-corruption agency said it will work with foreign authorities to obtain more information such as the source of funds

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Daim Zainuddin arrives at a court in Kuala Lumpur last January. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 10:35am, 29 Jun 2025Updated: 10:36am, 29 Jun 2025

Malaysia’s anti-corruption agency is targeting assets worth at least 4.5 billion ringgit (US$1 billion) in five other countries belonging to the late tycoon and former finance minister Daim Zainuddin, the New Straits Times reported.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission plans to send a restraining order request to the respective countries using the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act 2002, the newspaper cited the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Chief Commissioner Azam Baki as saying.

The agency will work with foreign authorities to obtain more information such as the source of funds and a money trail analysis, he added.

The MACC had last week filed a forfeiture application for a skyscraper in Kuala Lumpur owned by Daim. It also obtained a restraining order in Malaysia against assets belonging to Daim and related parties in the UK worth 700 million ringgit.

Daim, who twice served as finance minister in former premier Mahathir Mohamad’s governments, died in November. After Anwar Ibrahim became prime minister in 2022, the MACC started corruption investigations into both Mahathir and Daim.

Daim and his wife were charged in January 2024 with not declaring their assets as part of the investigation. They pleaded not guilty. Anwar is pursuing “vendettas of the past”, Daim said in a statement at the time. Anwar has denied this.