The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has confirmed that its investigation into assets allegedly owned by former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is still ongoing, with cooperation from foreign authorities including the United Kingdom (UK) and Switzerland.
MACC Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said the agency is collaborating with several international bodies to trace and obtain detailed information on Dr Mahathir’s purported assets.
“We are still working with the UK authorities, specifically the International Anti-Corruption Coordination Centre (IACCC), which is assisting us should there be any assets linked to Dr Mahathir. So far, there have been no new developments,” he said during the 8th anniversary celebration of the Malaysian Corruption Watch (MCW) at Universiti Multimedia’s Dewan Tun Canselor today.
Azam added that, apart from the UK, MACC is also looking into information related to assets in Switzerland.
“Yes, we are also looking at other countries like Switzerland. For now, it’s these two countries,” he confirmed.
Last December, MACC signed a Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) agreement with the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to facilitate investigations involving Dr Mahathir, his family, and associates. The commission has also held several meetings with the IACCC in London, a special unit under the NCA tasked with coordinating cross-border corruption probes.
According to previous sources, UK authorities are expected to provide an official list of assets covering Canada, Switzerland, Japan, and the UK before any seizure and forfeiture actions can be taken. However, the process is considered complex as it involves international legal instruments and cooperation from multiple foreign agencies.
MACC has stressed that its investigation will continue transparently to ensure all illegally acquired assets can be returned to Malaysia.
The probe is being conducted under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 (Act 694) and the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (AMLATFPUAA 2001).
In earlier developments, MACC also summoned Dr Mahathir’s two children to declare their domestic and overseas assets to complete the investigation.
