KUALA LUMPUR – It is only appropriate to grant businessman Tan Sri Mokhzani Mahathir a time extension to declare his assets, as he has a number of them, said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
MACC Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki has reiterated that the businessman, who is also the son of former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, has requested for extension of time to declare his assets.
“(And) we granted his request. I figured that it is only appropriate, seeing that the investigation officer informed me that Mokhzani has a lot of wealth.
“So, he would need some time to collate documents (regarding his assets),” he told reporters when met after the Certified Integrity Officer convocation at World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur today.
He added that Mokhzani and his elder brother, Mirzan, had been cooperating with the MACC throughout its investigation.
On January 26, Mokhzani received a notice from the anti-graft body that mandated him to declare his properties under Section 36(1)(b) of the MACC Act 2009, following his involvement in an investigation at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya.
Azam, on February 6, confirmed that neither Mokhzani nor Mirzan had submitted their asset declarations following the notices from the agency.
Previously, the MACC said Mirzan, who is Dr Mahathir’s eldest son, was served notice on January 17 to declare all his assets – both here and abroad – within 30 days.
Besides information on the 65-year-old in the Panama Papers, the agency is also investigating his business activities that involve the sale and acquisition of government-linked companies.
However, on February 17, Azam confirmed that the MACC had given Mirzan an extension of 30 days to declare his assets.
Meanwhile, Scoop reported that Mokhzani was served a notice order on January 26 to declare his assets, both domestically and internationally.
It is understood that Mokhzani is being probed over his shareholding in a GLC. This company is said to have won a licence to fabricate structures for use in oil and gas exploration for a national petroleum giant, while Dr Mahathir was serving as prime minister. – February 22, 2024