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PRIME MINISTER Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim recently called on the sons of former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to return their wealth if they cannot verify its source.
Yet, this issue, argues former Klang MP Charles Santiago, must go beyond personal rivalries or political protests.
“This isn’t about one family or the fallout of a rally. Malaysia needs an Unexplained Wealth Order to hold all elites accountable,” Santiago said in a statement.
He pointed to the United Kingdom as a model, where enforcement agencies recovered £62.9 million in just one year through Unexplained Wealth Orders (UWOs) and related civil recovery actions. Malaysia, he said, has the capacity to do the same—retrieving ill-gotten gains without the need for drawn-out criminal trials.
Malaysia’s urgency, he warned, lies in the scale of its losses. “We’ve lost RM277 billion to corruption in just five years—RM55 billion a year drained through fraud, procurement abuse, and illicit financial flows. That money could fund schools, hospitals, and food aid. We’re bleeding public wealth, not just public patience.”
Santiago criticised the unequal burden of proof that often exists in Malaysia. “Ordinary Malaysians must show proof of income to receive aid, loans, or scholarships. But those living in mansions or hoarding millions face little scrutiny. This isn’t about rivalry but fairness.”
He called for a law that would require individuals with assets far exceeding their known income to explain the origins of their wealth, regardless of their political connections.
“Unexplained wealth shouldn’t depend on who’s in power,” he said. “Malaysia needs an Unexplained Wealth law: clear, legal triggers that compel individuals to account for how they obtained disproportionate assets. Without it, justice remains a tool of politics, not a pillar of governance.”
Anwar had urged the sons of former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to return their wealth to the government if they are unable to prove that it was acquired through legitimate means.
Speaking recently in Jakarta during an interview with prominent Indonesian journalist Najwa Shihab, Anwar questioned the source of the extraordinary wealth declared by Mahathir’s children and stressed that the matter is now in the hands of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
“I don’t make baseless accusations,” Anwar said. “But if they themselves admit — not as an allegation, but as a declaration — that ‘I (Mahathir) or my son own RM1.2 billion, and another one RM4 billion’, then the money must be returned. You must pay it back, unless you can clearly explain where the funds came from.”
Anwar added that while his administration is committed to reform and accountability, it must apply equally to everyone — especially those in positions of power. He criticised the opposition for defending individuals with questionable fortunes while claiming to champion anti-corruption.
“Why should the son of a prime minister or minister possess billions of ringgit in wealth?” he asked. “This culture must end. I want genuine reform — not reform on paper or for show, but reform in action.”
His remarks come amid renewed scrutiny of elite wealth in Malaysia. According to MACC records, Tan Sri Mokhzani Mahathir has declared assets worth approximately RM1 billion, while his brother, Mirzan Mahathir, declared RM246.2 million.
Anwar’s comments, made during a two-day official visit to Indonesia for the 13th Malaysia–Indonesia Annual Leaders’ Consultation with President Prabowo Subianto, have sparked backlash from Mahathir’s family.
In a strongly worded response, Mahathir’s son, Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, accused the prime minister of using his father as a political scapegoat. Writing on Facebook, the Pejuang president said Anwar was reviving decades-old allegations without evidence, in what he described as a deliberate smear campaign.
Mukhriz pointed out the contradictions in Anwar’s political history, reminding the public that Mahathir and Anwar had once reconciled in a highly symbolic moment during the 2016 legal challenge to the National Security Council Act. He referenced their handshake at the Kuala Lumpur High Court — the first since Anwar’s sacking in 1998 — and noted that Anwar’s wife, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, had also welcomed the reunion.
“When Tun Mahathir shook hands with Anwar during Anwar’s court trial, did Anwar brush him off because he was corrupt? No,” Mukhriz said.
Mukhriz highlighted that Mahathir was welcomed into the Pakatan Harapan coalition and was chosen as its candidate for prime minister in the 14th General Election.
“When Harapan selected Tun M to lead the coalition, did Anwar and Harapan consider him corrupt? No,” Mukhriz added.
He questioned the sincerity of Anwar’s current stance, pointing out that Mahathir had appointed Harapan leaders to his Cabinet during his second premiership and had supported Anwar’s royal pardon in 2018. Mukhriz also reminded Malaysians that Mahathir and the late Tun Daim Zainuddin had supported Anwar’s Port Dickson by-election campaign in the same year.
“Anwar has accused my father of corruption for 25 years without ever producing evidence. Only when Tun M and Bersatu joined Harapan did Barisan Nasional fall. Did Anwar reject that victory on principle? No,” Mukhriz said. “And never once during that period did anyone raise the issue of Tun M enriching his children.”
The public exchange has reignited debate over wealth, power, and accountability in Malaysia, with critics warning that political rivalries should not distract from the broader need for institutional reform and transparent governance. - August 2, 2025