KUALA LUMPUR: The wife of Tun Daim Zainuddin, Toh Puan Na'imah Abdul Khalid slammed an online portal for its sensational-toned report, which she claims borders on character assassination.
Na'imah in a statement said they have never concealed the fact that they have assets abroad, stressing that they, however, were the result of legitimate business activities and investments since well before Daim's involvement in the political arena in 1984.
The author of the report, she added, does not even suggest the presence of criminal elements, thus raising questions about why such a report is published.
"In reporting news, tarnishing someone's reputation by loading implicit accusations and responses without providing solid evidence is wrong and unethical.
"Indeed, it borders on character assassination masked by a news report.
"Without any wrongdoing, is it appropriate to discuss someone's private finances, whether the details are true or not, by attempting to accuse the existence of serious misconduct?
"This report will only fuel prejudice, rumours, and assumptions about us or anyone else in a similar situation, and undoubtedly, this is its intended purpose," she said.
The online portal was believed to have quoted documents revealed by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) who disclosed that the family of the former finance minister are beneficiaries of a multimillion-dollar trust with investments in real estate in the United Kingdom and the United States.
Documents obtained by the ICIJ have exposed leaked records from a Cayman Islands financial services firm, revealing that Daim's youngest sons, Muhammad Amin Zainuddin and Muhammad Amir Zainuddin, along with his wife, Toh Puan Nai'mah Khalid, are beneficiaries of a trust holding assets worth US$52.5 million (RM146.21 million) as of 2020.
This disclosure comes amidst an ongoing investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) following the Pandora Papers revelations, linking Daim and his associates to offshore entities valued at a minimum of US$31 million.