Kuala lumpur: The High Court has set February 22, 2027, as the date to deliver its decision regarding a judicial review application submitted by the family of the late Tun Daim Zainuddin. The family is challenging the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's (MACC) action to freeze their bank accounts.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Judge Norliza Othman made the decision after hearing arguments from Abraham Au, the lawyer representing Daim's family, and Senior Federal Counsel Nurhafizza Azizan, who appeared for the MACC and other respondents. Abraham contended that the authorities issued a new seizure notice in 2024 under a different law before the expiration of the initial notice issued in 2023, effectively extending the freezing period to 30 months, contrary to statutory limits defined under Section 52A of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorist Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (AMLATFPUAA).
Meanwhile, Nurhafizza argued that the MACC had the discretion to manage its investigations and that the process was not initiated abruptly. She explained that investigations began in March 2023, prior to the issuance of the seizure notices, demonstrating that the investigations were well underway. She also revealed that 54 of the 73 bank accounts had been released, while the remaining 19 accounts were still frozen pending forfeiture proceedings.
On November 5, 2025, the High Court granted Daim's family permission to initiate judicial review proceedings to contest the MACC's actions. Their application, submitted on June 6, 2024, seeks to nullify the seizure and freezing of their assets under Section 50 of the AMLATFPUAA. The applicants include Daim's wife, Toh Puan Na'imah Abdul Khalid, their four children, and 18 companies associated with the family.
The applicants have named several respondents, including MACC officials and the Malaysian government, and are seeking a court declaration to invalidate the MACC's freezing order and associated actions. In her affidavit, Na'imah stated that, in the absence of formal money laundering charges, the seizure order should lapse after 90 days as stipulated by Section 44 (5) of the AMLA.