(June 23): The courts will hear Tun Daim Zainuddin's widow's bid to intervene in the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) freeze of United Kingdom (UK) assets worth £132 million (RM758.2 million) and a new request to freeze about RM544 million worth of assets in Singapore.
This comes after Toh Puan Na'imah Abdul Khalid's lawyers, led by Datuk Dr Gurdial Singh Nijar, contested MACC’s freeze of the more than RM1.3 billion worth of assets on Monday before two different High Court judges.
Judge K. Muniandy handled a new order to block Na’imah and others from dealing with 12 investment accounts in US dollar and pound sterling currencies in Singapore.
Judge Datuk Azhar Abdul Hamid dealt with an earlier freeze involving UK properties — two commercial buildings and five luxury residences — and a bank account worth £132 million. That freeze has been temporarily paused.
Gurdial argued that the freeze orders were unfair because they were made without hearing Na’imah’s side (ex parte). He also pointed out that Na’imah wasn’t clearly named in the court documents and the parties involved should be clearly identified.
"Before any prohibition [order is issued, one] must be named as a party to contest it as there are far-reaching consequences," he said.
He added that he was not against MACC doing its job to investigate but it should not be done in this manner.
The prosecution led by deputy public prosecutor Mahadi Jumaat argued that the graft-busters were acting in line with the law as there was a basis for the investigations.
"At this stage it is just like a freeze order as these assets are linked to the criminal investigations. There is no inter-party hearing (both parties) at this stage," he argued.
Mahadi added that an inter-party hearing will only take place when there is a forfeiture application.
Na’imah’s hearing to join the UK asset case is set for July 9 and the hearing for the Singapore asset case will be on Aug 1.
Previously, Na'imah has said that she only learnt of the UK freeze order through media reports.
She has reiterated her claim that the legal action against her family is politically motivated, adding that she will "not bow down to bullies".