KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 23 — Toh Puan Na'imah Abdul Khalid today asserted that she has not committed any crimes and that the “real crime” is an alleged plot to carry out political revenge against her husband Tun Daim Zainuddin and their family.
Addressing the media at the court complex here after being bailed at RM250,000, the former finance minister's wife Na'imah said she was charged this morning with a criminal offence, but said she will show she did not commit any crime.
“But no crime was committed by me and I will prove this in court.
“The real crime is the coordinated plot to tarnish my husband’s reputation and exact political revenge and retribution against him and our family,” Na'imah said when reading out from a printed one-page statement in a calm and steady voice.
Na'imah claimed that the “real crime” was the alleged “emasculation and manipulation of key national institutions” like the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and the Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) as “weapons in a political vendetta”.
“The real crime is the wielding of state power for personal ends and not for the benefit of the people,” she said.
She also claimed that the real crime was going after political rivals while letting political cronies go.
“The real crime is targeting your political opponents with concocted charges whilst, to the outrage of an entire country, corruption charges are dropped against political cronies.
“The real crime is vengefully pursuing old political rivals, who hold no power now, with baseless charges whilst the economy stagnates, reforms are abandoned and the country forlorn,” she said.
Na'imah said she was overwhelmed by the support given by people — many unknown to her and her family — “for their concern and solidarity since last night when the news broke that I would be charged.”
“I thank you and I have faith InsyaAllah, I will be vindicated at the end of all this,” she said.
Na’imah also directly addressed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in her prepared media statement, telling him that “power is brief and there is always a reckoning for those who abuse it”.
Asked if she was concerned that her children with Daim might be charged, Na’imah said that it “has been a long day” and she just wanted to give her press statement.
“I would like to go back to the hospital because my husband is there and I need to be there,” she said.
When asked how Daim was doing healthwise, she replied that it was personal information.
“I would not like to share personal medical information,” she said.
Na’imah was charged in the Sessions Court this morning with wilfully failing to declare certain assets as required under Section 36(2) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act that could see her punished with a maximum five-year jail term and a maximum fine of RM100,000 if convicted.
Na’imah spoke to the media at around noon time after posting bail.
