'STAND UP AGAINST ANWAR' - IN NO-HOLDS-BARRED CALL, DAIM FIRES THE FIRST SHOT - LEADS THE CHARGE AGAINST A 'WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING' ANWAR REGIME - SEEN AS OUT TO WREAK HAVOC FOR PERSONAL REVENGE AT COUNTRY'S EXPENSE OVER HIS FIRST SODOMY DISGRACE
Written by Wong Choon Mei, Politics Now!
KUALA LUMPUR (Politics Now!) - Old age is nothing to be ashamed of. Neither is the fear of dying. And former finance minister Daim Zainuddin was not of either. Still frail from hospitalization a week ago and showing every year of his age, the 85-year-old Daim, wheelchair-bound now, could nevertheless still summon the fighting spirit that had helped him rescue Malaysia twice from economic crisis - the second time wrought by none other than Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in 1997 that almost wiped out the country and fatefully perhaps the reason why Daim found himself in court today.
At a press conference held after he was charged for failing to comply with a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) notice requiring him to declare his assets, Daim hit back at Anwar for escalating their decades-old feud into a political vendetta against himself and his family now that Anwar had finally found power after being made prime minister by the King following a general election in 2022 that yielded no clear winner.
“A wolf in sheep’s clothing who cries reforms, but does the polar opposite," Daim told the press conference.
“I am not too bothered about my fate now. Let Anwar throw everything at me, but I fear for the fate of my country."
DEJA-VU ANWAR, THE LEOPARD THAT CANNOT CHANGE ITS SPOTS?
Indeed for decades, Anwar had been a hopeless, disorganized, basket-case PM-wannabe ignored and even mocked by the mainstream since being convicted of sodomy and abuse of power - and amid strong accusations his supporters had deliberately sabotaged the ringgit and the country's economy during the near-fatal 1997 Asian financial crisis that he was said to have tried to pounce on to topple the then prime minister Mahathir Mohamad. Unfortunately for Anwar then, the grandiose plan to snatch power by his supporters in Umno, which reportedly included his current deputy prime minister Zahid Hamidi, boomeranged.
But as with life's ebbs and flows, Anwar hung on and finally found his way to the PM's seat he had coveted for the longest time. Unfortunately for Malaysia now, it's hard for a leopard for change its spots - and Daim is but the latest in a long line of critics to be disillusioned, disgusted and angered by Anwar's failure to redeem himself.
Narcissistic and boastful as during his Umno days, Anwar's trademark ability to "mess up whatever task he is given" is still evident. It's hard to temper such criticism, as although Anwar has since founded his own PKR party after being sacked from Umno, he is still breaking promises as glibly and frequently as a cow with wet grass in its stomach breaks wind - and focusing on all the issues that truckloads of experts have publicly said reeked of self-interest and perhaps aimed to save himself from being ousted - rather than to save the country and its ailing economy as he had promised voters would be his chief goals.
The ringgit torn by hot-money speculators when he was both deputy premier and finance minister in the 1990s is now even worse than before. At 9.10 am this morning (Jan 29), the ringgit depreciated to 4.7320/7360 against the U.S. dollar compared to Friday's closing rate of 4.7275/7325 - a very sizeable drop in forex markets and has been speculated to breach the 5.00 level in the months ahead if Anwar, who has again made himself finance minister, does not buck up. Already, as things stand, the inflation and resultant price hikes that are bound to hit the country will be massive. Coincidence, deja-vu or the same poor hand unable to improve his steering of the same leaky ship?
CAN ANWAR GET BACK ANY MONEY ALLGEDLY STOLEN BY DAIM?
As for Daim and his close ally Mahathir, corruption allegations have dogged the duo for decades. Rated as being much smarter at covering their tracks than Najib Razak, the first Malaysian ex-prime minister to find himself in jail for corruption, Daim and Mahathir have been untouched till now with the enforcement agencies crying insufficient evidence when pressed by the public.
Perhaps this is why Anwar's MACC is now going after Daim for failure to disclose assets while his propaganda units are trying to sensationalize and demonize Daim and his family's assets - much as they did to great success with Najib's wife Rosmah, who was notorious for her love of mega diamonds and Birkin bags shopping sprees.
With so much evidence buried by the passing years, it looks like Daim's appearance in court today is the personal satisfaction and sweet revenge Anwar needs to salve his ego - for allegedly masterminding his first sodomy shame and disgrace some 27 years ago.
But will Malaysians be satisfied at such paltry charges against Daim? Will Anwar's plan of vengeance at the expense of the country's greater economic needs backfire again - as Malaysians blame him again for yet another failure? Unless he is able to recover the money Daim purportedly 'stole' from the country, won't Anwar only be burnishing his own reputation for being a 'tin kosong' or empty vessel?
As Daim pointed out in his presser this morning, "integrity and good governance have gone out the window" - with independent institutions such as the MACC, the Attorney-General’s Chambers and the Inland Revenue Board weaponized into “pliable tools to pursue political opponents” - the very same accusations Anwar and his Pakatan Harapan coalition of PKR, DAP and Amanah had hurled at Umno, the corruption-riddled, race-based party that had ruled Malaysia since 1957, when they were still in the Opposition.
STAND UP AGAINST ANWAR
Ironically, it was Mahathir, aided by Daim, who led Pakatan to overthrow Umno's hegemony in 2018, when Anwar was in jail again for his second sodomy conviction. And even more ironically, it was an Anwar-led Pakatan that kissed and made up with a miraculously cleansed-up Umno in 2022 to rule the country.
Urging Malaysians to stand up against Anwar and his regime, Daim warned today that a government is accountable to its people, not the other way around.
“The Sedition Act, Communication and Multimedia Act (CMA), and Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA) are wantonly used against those who speak up and criticise the government or Anwar," lashed out Daim.
“Is this the new Malaysia that was promised?”
Daim had pleaded not guilty to a charge under Section 36(2) of the MACC Act 2009 of failing to comply with the terms of an asset declaration notice issued by MACC. If convicted, he faces a jail term of up to five years and a fine of not more than RM100,000.
Meanwhile, the Anwar propaganda machines have rushed to hype up Daim's assets which are significant as befitting his decades as a successful tycoon. There are 7 luxury vehicles but a Rolls Royce, 3 Mercedes, a Jaguar, an Austin Morris and a Ford Perfect are pretty modest for someone reputed to be a billionaire. There are also 38 companies that own extensive properties including the mid-range and rather mediocre Avillion hotel group and 25 properties including land at prime locations.
Below is a list of all 71 of Daim's assets compiled by the NST.
Bank account
- Amanah Saham Nasional Berhad (ASB) and Amanah Saham Nasional (ASN)
Vehicles (7):
- Mercedes Benz 600 SEL
- Jaguar XJS HE
- Mercedes Benz 450SEL
- Mercedes Benz 450 SLC
- Rolls Royce 2 Axle Rigid Body
- Austin Morris Austin
- Ford Prefect
Companies (38):
- Ibu Kota Developments Sdn Bhd
- Maya Seni Holdings Sdn Bhd
- Menara Ampang Sdn Bhd
- Dream Cruiser Sdn Bhd
- Landbelt Corporation Sdn Bhd
- Kenari Teliti Sdn Bhd
- Fnq Advanced Materials Sdn Bhd
- Kota Tandop Development Sendirian Berhad
- Alun-Alun Resort (M) Sdn Bhd
- Dasar Seroja Sdn Bhd
- Gigantic Promotions Sdn Bhd
- Jupiter Alliance Sdn Bhd
- Inayat Realty Sdn Bhd
- Suasa Urus Sdn Bhd
- Avillion Berhad
- Meridian Haven Sdn Bhd
- Avillion Vista Hotel Sdn Bhd
- Vast Access Sdn Bhd
- Fortune Valley Sdn Bhd
- Reliance E-Com Sdn Bhd
- Admiral Marina Berhad
- Golden Envoy (M) Sdn Bhd
- Mela Lifestyle Sdn Bhd
- AVI SPA Sdn Bhd
- Avillion Hotel Group Sdn Bhd
- RPB Capital Holdings Sdn Bhd
- Genius Field Sdn Bhd
- Festive Place Sdn Bhd
- Avillion Suite Hotel (PD) Sdn Bhd
- Taman Unik Sdn Bhd
- Admiral Cove Development Sdn Bhd
- Nesline Sdn Bhd
- RPB Development Sdn Bhd
- OS Resources Sdn Bhd
- Avillion Hotel (Kl) Sdn Bhd
- Avillion Hotels International Sdn Bhd
- Admiral Hill Hotel Sdn Bhd
- Reliance Shipping & Travel Agencies (Perak) Sdn Berhad
Properties (25):
- Lot 265, Seksyen 89, No. 325 Ritchie Condo, Kuala Lumpur
- Lot 12, Seksyen 89, No. 327 Persiaran Ritchie, Kuala Lumpur
- Unit 1D, NO 16, Jalan Taman U-Thant, Kuala Lumpur
- No. 10 Jalan Wirawati, Taman Maluri, Kuala Lumpur
- Rompin House, Bukit Fraser, Fraser's Hill, Pahang
- House near Jalan Kampung Pandan, Kampung Pandan, Kuala Lumpur
- No. 333, Jalan Kolam Air, Taman Melawati, Kuala Lumpur
- No.204 Desa Kuda Lari, TK 1-A150 3, Kuala Lumpur
- No. 333, Persiaran Ritchie, Desa Pahlawan, Kuala Lumpur
- Socfin House-White Palace Kuala Lumpur
- Lands near Taman Maluri, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur
- Houses near Cinta Condominium, Jalan Madge Off Jalan U-Thant, Kuala Lumpur
- Lot 12 & 13 Puncak Dani & Dani Lodge Gohtong Jaya Genting Highlands, Pahang
- Unit No. W4DC-075 & 061, Phase 4D, Wangsa Melawati, Kuala Lumpur
- Houses at Wisma Dani, 1, Jalan Jejaka 4, Maluri, Kuala Lumpur
- Lands near Taman Dagang Ampang, Selangor
- Lot 129 Seksyen 58, Menara Ampang, No. 149, Jalan Ampang, Selangor
- Lands Lot No 1680 and 1681, Mukim Bujang Daerah Kuala Muda, Kedah
- Double Storey Semi D, Phase 5B, Bukit Saujana, Ijok, Selangor
- Suite # 8-13-6, Menara Mutiara Bangsar 8, Jalan Liku Off Jalan Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur
- Avillion Port Dickson, 3rd Mile, Jalan Pantai, Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan
- Avillion Admiral Cove, 5½ Mile, Jalan Pantai, Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan
- Avillion Cameron Highlands, C-3-1 Jalan Camelia, Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands, Pahang
- Admiral Marina & Leisure Club, 5 1/2 Miles Jalan Pantai, 71050, Si Rusa, Negeri Sembilan
- AVI Pangkor Beach Resort, PT1130, Jalan Pasir Bogak, Pangkor, Perak
Written by Wong Choon Mei, Politics Now!!
Politics Now!
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