Mahathir ‘the primary suspect’ in Malaysia’s anti-corruption probe, sons say

“My father is the primary suspect,” Mokhzani Mahathir, 63, said in an interview in Kuala Lumpur. “We are witnesses to whatever it is that they’re investigating.”

The MACC said in a statement it was unable to comment on or confirm Mokhzani’s comments. Mahathir’s office hasn’t responded to a request for comment.

The brothers are assisting in the investigation, but the task is onerous and taking time, they said in the interview, which Mirzan joined by video call. Both have received two extensions of the original February deadlines for compliance.

The MACC hasn’t provided the brothers with any details of the investigation into Mahathir, according to Mokhzani.

“We did ask, ‘What is the investigation on my father about?’ and they were not able to furnish us with that information,” Mokhzani said in the interview on Saturday. “Can you imagine you’re being asked to provide information to be used to prosecute your parent?”

Anwar’s press office declined to comment.

Mahathir’s sons said they’re working with company secretaries and accountants to file the asset declarations.

“This is a near impossible task, to go back all that way,” Mokhzani said, adding he was still a student in the UK in 1981. “We can’t remember exactly how things were back then,” he said, adding that everything was in the form of physical records and not digitised.

The political wrangling has had a limited impact on markets.

Although Malaysia’s benchmark stock index has fallen in five of the past six years, the weak performance has abated to an extent in 2024. The KLCI index is up more than 5 per cent, as authorities attempt to stabilise the ringgit.

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In May last year, Mahathir filed a 150 million