Anwar has accused Daim since 1998, PKR Youth chief tells DAP critic

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 22 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has consistently accused Tun Daim Zainuddin of graft and is not aiding a renewed corruption probe against the former finance minister to defend the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) against the latter's criticism, PKR's Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said today.

Answering questions from DAP's Raub MP Datuk Mohd Ariff Sabri Abdul Aziz about the wisdom in Anwar offering to help the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC)  investigate the vocal critic of the government, the PKR Youth chief said Anwar's allegation was over a decade old.

“He (Anwar) may appear eager in offering to provide information in the case against Daim, but don't forget that he has firmly stated his stand and position against the BN leadership since the time of Dr Mahathir.

“In fact, since 1998 until now, Anwar has consistently made known his position on the allegation of corruption against Daim,” the Seri Setia assemblyman said in a statement today.

The MACC said last week it will interview Anwar for its investigation against Daim, after the opposition leader offered to assist in the probe.

Anwar, who is also a former finance minister, previously claimed to have details that were pertinent to the graftbusters investigation into Daim’s banking business abroad.

This prompted Ariff to write in his personal blog that doing so would help kill off a purported faction war that is brewing within Umno, the lynchpin of the ruling BN administration.

Anwar, who was sacked as deputy prime minister in 1998, previously accused Daim of using foreign banks to accumulate billions in hidden wealth.

Daim was reported to own a bank in Tanzania. He reportedly said that he had been investigated twice in 1999 but was not found to have committed any wrongdoing.

The MACC, which has interviewed the former minister for its investigation, also pointed out that Daim had been investigated by the Anti-Corruption Agency, the commission’s predecessor, and that the deputy public prosecutor in that instance had determined that the former minister’s case merited no further action (NFA).

Pro-establishment bloggers recently renewed attention into Daim’s case, prompting the former minister to claim he knew who was behind the fresh offensive.

Daim said that while the attacks from the opposition parties were expected, he did not anticipate the coverage that the mainstream media has given to his accusers.