This article first appeared in The Edge Malaysia Weekly on December 30, 2024 - January 12, 2025

Mirzan and Mokhzani Mahathir asked to declare assets acquired over the decades

Former prime minister Tun Mahathir Mohamad and his businessman sons Mirzan and Mokhzani

In 2023, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad dragged Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to court for saying that the former had abused his power and enriched his family during his tenure as prime minister. Mahathir is suing Anwar for RM150 million and demands a public apology for the remarks.

In response, Anwar said he would see Mahathir in court and that he “has the receipts” to back up his claims of Mahathir’s abuse of power in office.

The defamation trial is slated to begin early next year as Judicial Commissioner Zaharah Hussain asked Anwar and Mahathir’s lawyers to find common trial dates and to inform the court of the dates in January 2025.

Cut to January 2024, when notices were issued by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to Mahathir’s sons, businessmen Mirzan Mahathir and Tan Sri Mokhzani Mahathir, to declare their assets to the graft agency. According to Mirzan and Mokhzani, the MACC had instructed them to declare their assets from as far back as 1981, or 43 years ago.

Mahathir’s first stint as prime minister began in July 1981 and ended in 2003. His second term in office was much shorter, from May 2018 to February 2020.

In a statement before formally declaring their assets to the MACC, Mahathir’s two sons said: “The task at hand in collating 43 years’ worth of information is an impossible endeavour and we ask for patience and understanding to address MACC’s request.”

Subsequently, the brothers complied and declared their assets although the MACC has since kept mum on the assets declared and its investigations into their wealth.

In the course of events, Mahathir said he was the actual target of the graft investigation and he claimed that the MACC had already concluded that he had committed an offence under Section 23 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009. 

Section 23 of the Act stipulates that it is an offence to use an office or position for gratification, and a person convicted of such an offence is liable to face a jail term of 20 years and a fine of five times the gratification.

Meanwhile, Mahathir maintained that he had not accumulated billions of ringgit as alleged by Anwar, noting that no evidence has been furnished to back up the latter’s claims even though it has been more than a year since Anwar declared that he had proof.

“From what I know, I have never been investigated. Yet, the MACC notice claims I have committed an offence,” said Mahathir, claiming to have seen an MACC leaked notice against him.

Mirzan and Mokhzani also publicly stated that in their opinion, the real target of the MACC investigation was their 99-year-old father.

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