KUALA LUMPUR: The prosecution wants former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin to be present in the Sessions Court on Aug 27 for the decision of his application to transfer his case to another court.
It is related to his charge for failure to adhere to a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's (MACC) notice to declare his assets. Daim had applied for it to be heard before a different judge.
Deputy public prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin applied for Daim, 86, to appear before judge Azura Alwi on the decision day.
"My apologies. Not that I want to inconvenience Tun Daim. But we have fixed that day for the decision and I ask for him to be present for it. I do not think our demand is too much unless he is bedridden," he said.
Azura said as of now, she hoped Daim would be present in court on that day.
"However, if there are negative developments on his health condition, his lawyer can write to the court before the said date," she said.
Daim was represented by lawyer M. Puravelan.
In today's hearing proceedings related to the application, Daim was not present.
Yesterday, at another proceeding before Azura, Wan Shaharuddin had also applied for Daim's attendance in court. It was for the hearing of his discovery application to compel the prosecution into providing him with documents on his alleged offence under the MACC Act.
Daim was not present but his wife, Toh Puan Na'imah Abdul Khalid was.
Puravelan had said the court had to consider Daim's physical condition as he could hardly hear anything and his movements were restricted.
Puravelan had previously said Daim was a kidney transplant patient who had one of his eyes surgically removed due to a fungal infection, apart from having minor strokes in the past rendering him homebound.
Daim, whose real name is Che Abdul Daim Zainuddin, was charged with failure to comply with a MACC notice to declare his assets such as one bank account, seven luxury vehicles, 38 companies and 25 properties at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya on Dec 13, last year.
The offence falls under Section 36(2) of the Act which carries a maximum of five years imprisonment and a RM100,000 fine upon conviction.