KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 23 — Toh Puan Na’imah Abdul Khalid, the wife of former minister Tun Daim Zainuddin, is now allowed to leave Malaysia after the Sessions Court today granted her request for a temporary release of her passport to travel to China for work.
Na’imah’s passport was impounded by the court in January after she was charged with failing to comply with asset declaration requirements under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009.
“This follows that she has a working trip to China to attend an art exhibition,” lawyer Nizamuddin Abdul Hamid, acting for Na’imah, was reported as saying by business paper The Edge.
In a separate news report by Free Malaysia Today, Nizamuddin was quoted as saying that Na’imah will be out of the country from August 28 to September 9.
Judge Azura Alwi allowed Na’imah’s passport to be returned to her after Deputy Public Prosecutor Fadhly Zamri confirmed that the prosecution had no objections.
The court had previously permitted Na’imah to use her passport for travel to Singapore and Europe in June and July.
Naimah was charged on January 23 and claimed trial to failing to declare her assets under Section 36(2) of the MACC Act, which carries a penalty of up to five years imprisonment and a maximum fine of RM100,000, upon conviction.
Among the assets she was accused of not declaring ownership of included land in Penang and Kuala Lumpur, several companies, and two vehicles.
Her husband, Daim, also claimed trial to a similar charge.
