We are not subject of MACC probe - Mahathir's sons

The sons of former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s sons have clarified that they are not the subject of any MACC investigation.

In a joint statement, Mirzan and Mokhzani said they are keen to prove that their wealth was earned via legitimate means.

“We would like to put it on record that, contrary to media reports, we are NOT the subject of any MACC investigation.

“The notice handed out to each of us was issued as a ‘son’ of a person suspected to have committed an under Section 23 of the MACC Act 2009,” they said in the statement.

“We understand the whole exercise is to determine if our father abused his position as prime minister to enrich us,” they added.

On Thursday, MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki confirmed that the anti-graft agency is investigating Mahathir.

Keen to disprove accusations

He acknowledged that the orders issued by MACC to Mahathir’s sons Mokhzani and Mirzan to declare their assets were related to the probe. Azam, however, did not divulge further details.

In today’s statement, Mirzan and Mokhzani said they appreciated the extension given by the MACC on the declaration notice first served to them in January under Section 36(1)(b) of the MACC Act 2009.

The duo stressed that compiling details of assets over a period of 43 years takes time and effort. Hence, they urged MACC to state if there is a specific period of time that the agency would like to zoom in on in the probe.

MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki

“There are insinuations that the reason why we need more time is due to the extent of our wealth. This is not true at all.

“Most of the documents are no longer available, especially from the financial institutions and even from the public sectors,” they said, citing the seven-year period that agencies like the Inland Revenue Board and the Registrar of Companies require taxpayers to keep sufficient records for.

“We have been working hard and putting in as much effort as possible to collect these documents but some are near impossible to retrieve as they are just no longer in existence.

“We are keen to disprove these accusations and want to prove that whatever we have earned over the years is through legitimate means, through proper channels and without any crime being committed.” - Mkini