24-07-2025
PM says government just trying to claw back stolen funds, not ‘punish the dead'
PUTRAJAYA, July 24 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today said the government's efforts to combat corruption are focused on recovering illicit funds, not punishing anyone — including the dead.
Anwar also said the Opposition was using the Parliament as a platform to defend 'those who siphoned billions'.
'Even when action is taken, they say things like 'how can you do that, he's old now' or 'he's already passed away'. But we're not trying to punish the dead, we're trying to recover money that was unlawfully taken,' he said without naming anyone.
'They use Parliament to defend those who have siphoned off billions. How much was his wealth? RM4 billion. What business was he in? No one knows. And when he died, how much in assets did he have? RM2 billion. This is totally unacceptable,' he added in his speech at the finance ministry monthly assembly here.
Anwar said that Perikatan Nasional is not championing the fight against corruption the way he did during his time in the Opposition.
It was previously reported that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is seeking to seize and forfeit over RM3 billion in assets allegedly linked to the late Tun Daim Zainuddin, his widow Toh Puan Na'imah Khalid, their family members, and close associates.
