21-2-2024 (KUALA LUMPUR) The sons of former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad have been granted an extension to declare their assets to the country’s anti-graft agency. Amidst their father’s recovery from an infection at a Kuala Lumpur hospital, Mr. Mokhzani Mahathir and Mr. Mirzan Mahathir have been given additional time by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to fulfill their asset declaration obligations.
According to Malaysian online news portal Scoop, Mr. Mokhzani Mahathir was granted a 30-day extension on Tuesday (Feb 20), while his older brother, Mr. Mirzan Mahathir, received the same extension on Feb 16.
These extensions come in light of Dr. Mahathir’s recent admission to Malaysia’s National Heart Institute (IJN) on Jan 26, which led to rumors of the 98-year-old former prime minister’s critical condition.
Providing an update on Tuesday, an aide of Dr. Mahathir stated in a WhatsApp group, “Dr. M is currently still being treated and is in the process of recovering from an infection.” The aide also mentioned that the exact discharge date would depend on the IJN’s assessment of Dr. Mahathir’s recovery progress. The aide further shared photos of Dr. Mahathir reading newspapers and writing in his hospital room, which were subsequently posted on his Facebook and TikTok accounts.
Dr. Mahathir’s hospital admission came to public knowledge on Feb 13 during a hearing for his defamation lawsuit against Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. The hearing was adjourned to Jul 19 after Dr. Mahathir’s lawyer, Mior Nor Haidir Suhaimi, requested a postponement due to his client’s hospitalization at IJN.
The defamation suit, filed in July 2022, alleges that Mr. Ahmad Zahid slandered Dr. Mahathir during a divisional meeting of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO). Dr. Mahathir’s statement of claim contends that Mr. Ahmad Zahid’s comments intended to imply that he was not born a Malay or a Muslim and that his original name was Mahathir son of Iskandar Kutty.
Over the years, Dr. Mahathir has faced various health issues and has undergone bypass surgeries due to his history of heart problems.
In January, the MACC gave Dr. Mahathir’s sons, Mr. Mirzan and Mr. Mokhzani, 30 days to declare their assets dating back to 1981 when Dr. Mahathir first became prime minister under the Barisan Nasional coalition. Dr. Mahathir stepped down in 2003 but returned as prime minister in 2018 under the Pakatan Harapan coalition, which collapsed less than two years later due to internal conflicts.
Mr. Mirzan, a businessman, received the notice to declare his assets on Jan 18, amidst an MACC investigation into entities linked to the Pandora Papers and Panama Papers. These leaked documents expose the hidden wealth of influential individuals worldwide. On the other hand, Mr. Mokhzani is reportedly under investigation under the MACC Act 2009 and the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, with the investigation involving a government-linked company (GLC).
