KUALA LUMPUR (July 11): The Sessions Court on Thursday allowed an application by Toh Puan Na’imah Abdul Khalid for the release of her passport to go to London to meet a lawyer, and to Venice to attend an art exhibition.

The court allowed the release of her passport from July 14 to July 25, after Na’imah made the application through her lawyers.

The court is holding her passport as part of bail conditions due to a criminal charge. The prosecution in the case on Thursday did not object to the release of her passport.

In her affidavit in support of the passport release which was submitted to the court, the wife of former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin stated that she would be meeting her lawyer, one Dave Vasoodaven of Gulbenkian Andonian Solicitors, in London on July 15.

She said that she would then head to Venice, Italy, on July 16 for an international art exhibition known as “La Biennale di Venezia” from July 16 to 20.

She said that she would be attending the exhibition in her capacity as the chairman of the board of trustees of Yayasan Ilham, which she said is a non-profit foundation established for the carrying out of philanthropic and charity work, which includes the promotion and exchange of arts, culture, and education.

Na’imah said that she would return on or before July 25, and then return her passport immediately.

"I am advised by my solicitors and verily believe that I have been present at all court dates set by this honourable court, and have not shown any indication of absconding or making myself absent from the court for my case,” she said.

Last month, Na’imah was granted the release of her passport to attend another art exhibition in Basel, Switzerland.

On Jan 23, Na’imah was charged in the Sessions Court here, and claimed trial to the charge of not abiding by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's notice to declare 12 of her purported assets.

Following that, bail was set at RM250,000, and for her to surrender her passport.

Prior to this, Na’imah had applied to the High Court for an unconditional release of her passport, but that application was dismissed in March.