'Cowardly' Anwar bent on pursuing 'massive charade of probe' against Daim, says widow

The widow of Daim Zainuddin has launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, accusing him of still targeting her late husband following a statement by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) that it was studying  "money trail overseas" linked to the former finance minister who died on Nov 13.

"Now that Daim has passed, is it not cowardly for Anwar to continue this massive hoax and charade of a probe, with fresh insinuations of 'money trails' etc?" asked Naimah Khalid, accusing Anwar and MACC of tarnishing her husband's name by publicly repeating allegations of "stealing billions" without giving details.

Daim and Naimah were charged with failing to comply with a notice by MACC declare assets, in what the couple has maintained is part of a politically motivated persecution instigated by Anwar.

After his death, Naimah urged the prosecution to go ahead with the trial, saying it was her husband's wish to disprove Anwar's accusations against him in a court of law.

Daim's lawyer Gurdial Singh Nijar had also told the court that his client had wanted to clear his name.

"As he lay sick in bed, he expressed his need to clear his name from what he perceived was a baseless charge against him for whatever reason he couldn't explain. Our request and our instruction (from him) is that this case must proceed.

"We, as the defence, must demolish the case through cross-examinations and our witnesses," he was quoted as saying.

Despite this, the Sessions Court granted the prosecution's request to acquit Daim.

Naimah, however, questioned MACC's statement that the investigation against Daim was continuing and that they were working with international agencies to investigate "money trails" abroad.

"What money trail?" she asked. "To probe a 'money trail', there must be an offence of corruption committed first. If there is no offence, then assets whether held in Malaysia or elsewhere are lawful and the result of hard work."

She said Anwar colluded with Azam Baki in accusing Daim of stealing "billions" but never named the offence despite Daim repeatedly writing to the MACC chief.

"Till his death, they were not able to give an answer. Was this fair to him?

"Is it fair and just to accuse someone without evidence just to satisfy a thirst for revenge? In Islam slander is a grave sin for which those that slander are cursed in this life and the next," she added.

Taking a jibe at Anwar who she said "never ceases to parade his superficial learning", Naimah cited from Franz Kafka's novel "The Trial", which tells the story of a man who was arrested and remotely tried without being told of his crime.

"Only in dictatorships are people investigated but not told what their offence is. Anwar, who never ceases to parade his superficial learning, has surely heard of Kafka," she said.

"In the Anwar police state, like Kafka’s 'The Trial', one can be accused over and over again of crimes and socalled “money trails”, but never told what that crime is."