KUALA LUMPUR: Former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin and his family has filed a judicial review to challenge the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's (MACC) probe into their financial dealings.
The applicants claimed that the anti-graft body has no reasonable cause to investigate them under the MACC Act or the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.
The applicants are seeking a certiorari order against the MACC to quash all investigations instituted against Daim and his family members and all notices issued by the commission.
High Court judge Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh has fixed Jan 16 to hear the matter.
MACC had yesterday summoned Daim's wife Toh Puan Na'imah Abdul Khalid, and sons Muhammad Amin Zainuddin and Muhammad Amir Zainuddin, to have their statements recorded at the commission's headquarters in Putrajaya.
MACC had said that it wanted to ascertain values of some of the high value assets domestic and abroad held under the companies belonging to them in relation to the investigation into Daim.
On Dec 23 last year, the MACC confirmed that it is investigating Daim over allegations of corruption and money-laundering.
The confirmation came about after the commission on Dec 18 seized 58-storey Iham Tower, a commercial property in the Kuala Lumpur city centre reportedly owned Daim's family.
Daim subsequently labeled the probe against him and his family a "political witch hunt".
He said neither he nor his family had been involved in any corruption or wrongdoing, adding that his efforts to establish what offences he allegedly committed to warrant the probe had been rebuffed by the MACC.
On Dec 30, MACC in response said the probe on Daim began in February 2023 based on information from the Pandora Papers.
MACC said as part of the investigation, it sent Daim a notice in June 7 last year, requiring him to declare all his assets whether inside or outside the country within 30 days from the date the Notice was issued.
The commission said Daim had applied for five extensions and he was granted the extensions on July 6, Aug 10, Sept 11, Oct 11 and the last on Nov 14 to declare all his assets.
As part of the investigation process, the public prosecutor had issued a Notice of Seizure on Ilham Tower on Dec 18, under Section 38(1), MACC Act 2009 (Seizure of immovable property.