KUALA LUMPUR — An international anti-graft group has questioned how late Malaysian Cabinet minister Jamaluddin Jarjis managed to accumulate so much wealth after it was revealed that his properties alone were valued at RM2.1 billion (S$698 million).

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

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

The late Tan Sri Jamaluddin's wealth came to light when his mother Aminah Abdullah, 84, applied for an inheritance certificate at the Syariah High Court to transfer the moveable and immoveable properties to his estate valued at RM2.1 billion, which includes 20 properties in several countries.

Mr Jamaluddin held several Cabinet positions in his career, and was also Malaysia's ambassador to the United States from 2009 to 2012.

He was also a member of the Umno supreme council.

"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.

Mr Akhbar added that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) should investigate the source of Mr 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, Mr 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 also called for authorities to investigate Mr Jamaluddin's source of wealth.

Under syariah law, his 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, Mr Jamaluddin died in a helicopter crash in Semenyih three years ago. Five others also died in the crash. THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT