KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 4 — A new chapter has opened in the controversy surrounding one of Kuala Lumpur’s most prominent skyscrapers, as Ilham Tower Sdn Bhd secured leave from the High Court to challenge the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) over its seizure of the property.
The building, located on Jalan Binjai, is linked to the family of the late Tun Daim Zainuddin, a former finance minister whose name has resurfaced amid corruption-related investigations.
Presiding Judge Datuk Amarjeet Singh granted judicial review leave and approved an ad-interim stay until Dec 1, preventing the MACC from initiating forfeiture proceedings while the case is under review.
Ilham Tower Sdn Bhd, represented by Datuk Dr Gurdial Singh Nijar and Abraham Au, argues that the seizure order was procedurally flawed and unlawful. The company seeks both certiorari and mandamus orders to invalidate and reverse the seizure, and a suspension of all related enforcement actions.
The respondents named in the filing include MACC Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki, senior officers, the public prosecutor, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, and the Government of Malaysia.
Filed on June 23, 2025, through Messrs Raj & Sach, the case lists Toh Puan Na’imah Abdul Khalid, Daim’s widow, among the company’s directors.
The MACC had earlier said that its seizure of Ilham Tower was authorised by the Deputy Public Prosecutor under Section 51(1) of the MACC Act, dated June 4, as part of ongoing investigations into assets believed to be linked to corruption and illicit wealth.
