The Malaysian Insight

AN international anti-graft group questioned where was the source of the late Jamaluddin Jarjis’s wealth after his properties alone were valued at RM2.1 billion.

Transparency International-Malaysia (TI-M) chairman Akhbar Satar said the former minister was not from a well-off family and had not made his money professionally.

“I think the people now believe that politicians have a lot of money. Ministers have a lot of money. This is only one case.

“The mother only claimed RM2.1 billion, that is according to the Muslim faraid but we don’t know how much is the total. We don’t know how many billions.

“From where did he get the money? He is not from a rich background,” he told The Malaysian Insight when met.

Jamaluddin’s mother, Aminah Abdullah, 84, had applied for an inheritance certificate at the shariah high court to transfer the moveable and immoveable properties to his estate valued at RM2.1 billion.

Akhbar added the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) should investigate the source of Jamaluddin’s wealth.

“It is very sad for the country. Being a politician you should take care of the people, but instead they accumulate wealth for themselves. They should check all the assets,” he said.

There should also be a ruling in the new government that all ministers, when taking the job or leaving the position, should declare their assets, Akhbar said.

“That is why it is good that the government comes out with a ruling that not only declare assets. All politicians in position should declare assets.

“When you hold a post, (assets should be declared) year by year and a final time when you are in no longer in position,” he said.

The Centre to Combat Cronyism and Corruption (C4) also called for authorities to investigate Jamaluddin’s source of wealth.

Under shariah law, the mother gets one-sixth of the estate’s assets; the wife gets one-eighth; and, the remainder is shared among the children. Male children get double the share of female children.

A close aide of former prime minister Najib Razak, Jamaluddin died in a helicopter crash in Semenyih three years ago. Five others also died in the crash. – August 30, 2018.