Malaysian PM Anwar’s anti-graft crusade: seven down, more to go?

[KUALA LUMPUR] Malaysia’s prominent businessmen and politicians, including a former premier and a finance minister, have become entangled in Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s fight against corruption.

The arrests led by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) come amid disenchantment over Anwar’s failure to walk the talk on fighting corruption, long the bane of the country. Even so, market watchers have labelled the recent “purge” as politically motivated.

Some individuals, namely Daim Zainuddin, a two-term former finance minister, have resurfaced like a blast from the past after decades of staying under the radar.

Two of former premier Mahathir Mohamad’s tycoon sons, once movers and shakers of Malaysia Inc with interests across the health, banking, shipping and oil sectors, have also been asked to declare their assets dating back to the 1980s.

These are the seven influential figures that are being investigated or charged by MACC under Anwar’s administration.

1. Robert Tan – ‘Casio King’

Known as the “Casio King”, Robert Tan is the country’s exclusive distributor of the brand’s watches and calculators in the country.

The low-key Malaysian tycoon boasts a diverse business empire that spans manufacturing, marketing and trading, banking, shipping and property development.

Also hailed as the “Small Cap King”, Tan has significant investments in Bursa Malaysia’s smaller listed companies, namely, Marco Holdings, Jasa Kita, JKG Land, FCW Holdings, Computer Forms Malaysia, GPA Holdings and Goh Ban Huat.

The self-made tycoon is accused of “cheating” the finance ministry in 2019 in order for his private vehicle Spanco to land a contract to supply, repair and manage the government’s vehicle fleet worth nearly RM4 billion (S$1.1 billion).

The 83-year-old is charged with misrepresenting that Spanco had at least 30 per cent bumiputera interests during the tender process so as to secure the job. He claimed trial on Apr 3, and pleaded not guilty.

2. Daim Zainuddin – once the country’s most powerful man

Daim Zainuddin used to wield great influence over Malaysia’s corporate landscape – a stark contrast to the frail 85-year-old man in a wheelchair who appeared in a Kuala Lumpur court in January.

The former finance minister was a close adviser to several prime ministers, and was regarded as a close aide to Mahathir; both men hail from Malaysia’s northern state of Kedah. He is also credited with steering Malaysia out of the Asian financial crisis.

Once deemed the country’s most powerful man, Daim played a major role in a mammoth – and controversial – plan to consolidate Malaysia’s banking sector from 50 institutions to 10 in the late 90s to early 2000s.

A man of immense wealth, Daim has significant businesses in Malaysia and abroad. He used to be the major shareholder in Alliance Bank, which was created from the merger of seven financial institutions including Hock Hua Bank, Bumiputra Merchant Bankers and Multi-Purpose Bank.

Daim is charged with failing to comply with a MACC notice to disclose his assets, which include 38 companies and 25 properties in the country, as well as a bank account and seven luxury cars, including a Rolls-Royce. The probe was linked to the release of the Pandora Papers by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.

3. & 4. Mirzan and Mokhzani – in Dad’s shadow

Mirzan Mahathir and Mokhzani Mahathir found themselves embroiled in legal turmoil when MACC asked them to declare their assets dating as far back as 1981, the year their father Mahathir Mohamad became the country’s prime minister.

Mirzan shot to corporate fame in the mid-1990s, having turned a small freight-forwarding company Konsortium Perkapalan into a major player in the shipping and transportation space following an acquisition spree.

But the Asian financial crisis saw the company reeling from hefty debts that led to a buyout by MISC, the giant shipping arm of national oil company Petronas. The buyout was then slammed by critics as a bailout.

Mokhzani has made a name for himself across diverse industries, including finance, automotive, real estate, and telecommunications.

Beginning his career as a petroleum engineer, he founded Kencana Petroleum, an oil equipment fabrication company, in 1982. In 2012, the company merged with another oil and gas player SapuraCrest Petroleum in a deal valued at nearly RM12 billion.

The 63-year-old racing-car enthusiast is actively involved in nurturing young sports talent in Malaysia. He was chairman of the Sepang International Circuit for 13 years and was appointed as the president of the Motorsports Association of Malaysia in 2019.

Mokhzani was served a notice by MACC in January to compile and declare his assets. The agency said the probe was unrelated to Mirzan’s case. He was being investigated under the MACC Act 2009 and the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.

5. Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor – bold and vocal opposition leader

Kedah chief minister Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor, a member of the Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS), assumed office in July 2020 after his party’s victory in the state elections.

The 49-year-old is recognised for his conservative Islamic stance and advocacy for Malay-Muslim interests. This has helped him garner support from certain segments within the PAS and conservative circles.

Before the graft allegations, Muhammad Sanusi was charged with making a seditious statement which allegedly touched on the 3R (race, religion, royalty) issues in a political speech in July last year.

In January this year, he was summoned by MACC for investigation on an RM6 million graft case involving the Kedah Football Association.

Muhammad Sanusi denied any wrongdoing, saying that the investigation was “a plot to taint his image and tarnish Kedah state’s reputation”.

6. Muhyiddin Yassin – ‘Abah’

Muhyiddin Yassin, a seasoned politician, came to power as Malaysia’s prime minister in March 2020, when the country was gripped by the Covid-19 pandemic and beset by unprecedented political turmoil.

He was barely two weeks into the country’s top job when he implemented the country’s first lockdown and border curbs.

But the man who frequently calls himself “Abah” (father in Malay), lasted only 17 months in the hot seat. He stepped down after losing majority support in Parliament owing to intense infighting in the ruling coalition.

The 76-year-old was charged in March last year for abuse of power and money laundering over projects launched under his administration.

Muhyiddin pleaded not guilty to four charges of abusing his power to obtain bribes of RM232.5 million in a bank account belonging to his party, Bersatu, and three charges of money laundering involving RM195 million.

In August, Malaysia’s High Court acquitted and discharged Muhyiddin’s four counts of power abuse. His three other money laundering charges were suspended by the Sessions Court on Feb 15, 2024.

7. Ismail Sabri – ‘Pak Long’

Taking the baton from Muhyiddin in August 2021, Ismail Sabri Yaakob is both the shortest-serving prime minister (15 months), and shortest-serving deputy prime minister (40 days).

Being a member of the United Malays National Organization (Umno), he is known for his conservative political stance and advocacy for Malay-Muslim interests. Nicknamed “Pak Long” (eldest uncle in Malay), he faced criticism over his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and promoting Malay supremacy.

The style-conscious leader is known for his vibrant batik shirts, crafted by his son-in-law, fashion designer Jovian Mandagie, as well as for the luxury designer shirts he dons at meetings with regional leaders.

The 64-year-old was probed by graft investigators on the alleged misuse of RM700 million of funds for promotion and publicity campaigns during his administration in January.