KUALA LUMPUR, March 6 (Reuters) - The family of Malaysia's influential former finance minister filed a lawsuit on Friday against the prime minister, chief of police and the government to halt what they said were false claims of a plot to overthrow the government allegedly involving his widow and sons.
A week ago, police announced an investigation into an alleged conspiracy to "topple the government and sabotage national stability", which they said involved a local influential figure as well as an international media agency.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Tuesday the suspect had engaged the PR firm to launch a coordinated attack aimed at undermining national institutions before the next election.
Neither Anwar nor the police have identified the suspect or the firm.
The family of Daim Zainuddin, an influential two-time finance minister who died in November 2024, said in a statement on Friday it was "public knowledge" that the investigation targeted Daim's widow Na'imah Abdul Khalid and their sons.
An unverified copy of a police report circulating online accused Na'imah of plotting to overthrow the government. In a statement last week, she denied wrongdoing and questioned whether consulting a PR firm could qualify as an attempt to topple a government.
The family said their lawsuit sought to challenge what it called "abuse of power" by Anwar, Police Inspector-General Mohd Khalid Ismail and the government, and for the court to declare that the investigation is unlawful and tainted with bad faith.
Anwar's office, the police and the attorney-general's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The police said last week the investigation was being carried out under laws against undermining parliamentary democracy, an offence that carries a maximum jail term of 20 years.
Daim was a longtime ally of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad. Anwar and Mahathir have been locked in an on-off rivalry that has shaped Malaysia's politics for decades.
Prior to his death in 2024, Daim had been the subject of a corruption probe looking into figures suspected of holding undeclared wealth. He denied wrongdoing, saying the charges were part of a political vendetta by Anwar.
(Reporting by Danial Azhar; editing by Andrei Khalip)
