The Daim interview- Part 1
Wednesday, 30 March 2011
I am writing an article divided in 2 parts on the sex video. Once again, the nation will be gripped by another sordid tale. It's that video featuring a man resembling Anwar Ibrahim with a China doll. It's widely known as the Carcosa sex video. Produced by a trio of people, known collectively as Dato T.
I am writing the articles and sending them to Free Malaysia Today, I hope the editors will publish those. Readers may want to check out FMT- not to be confused with Malaysia Today.
I have been away for 1 week. That is a long blogging time for me. This self-enforced hiatus is much needed as I need to update myself on current literature. I hope I have renewed sufficient reserves to continue writing. I need to have the intellectual 'cojones' as it were, to engage rigorous people like 'evilcooler' for example. I will in the near future. He has proposed a topic. It's an interesting one.
For now I want to give some commentaries on the Daim Interview. Needless to say, I am quite amused at the self-serving slant of the published material by a mainstream newspaper. I am in position to say this because through the agency of my friend the Oracle of Syed Putra, I was able to see the actual transcript of the answer. I want to put things in proper perspectives.
I haven't seen the Oracle of Syed Putra for some time. He has been away for over 2 weeks. I was informed that he accompanied Tun Daim Zainudin on an extended visit to some African countries. Tun Daim, says the Oracle, has extensive business interests in Africa. As well as in some other countries. On our political radar, Tun Daim has managed to elude many people. He is almost invisible save for the occasional interviews with some local papers.
His views though sparse, have proven to be prescient almost omniscient. Obviously he has a network of informers and operatives briefing him continuously. No one believed when he told the BN was in danger losing 5 states. In 2008, the BN lost 5 states and lost on popular votes.
One of the predictions he made concerning the future of politics in Malaysia is the possibility of getting a hung parliament. If that happens, a man touted as the PM we never had, will fulfill his destiny.
I thought it would be nice to catch up with the Oracle. I did over the weekend. My first question was unavoidably the Tun's response to Dr Mahathir's description of Tun Daim. Tun Daim was to do an interview with Utusan Malaysia. Since he was on an extended business trip, questionnaires were posed to him in writing and he answered accordingly. So other than the Utusan people who published the interview in Mingguan Malaysia and its related papers, I was among the few I think, who was actually shown the actual transcript. Courtesy of the Oracle of course.
But first, what was the Oracle's answer when I asked him about Tun Daim's reaction on Dr Mahathir's description of Daim? Everyone must have read Tun Daim's answer to the 2nd question posed by Utusan Malaysia. Daim says, he is both humbled and totally embarrassed. Mahathir was both complimentary and acerbic about Daim. The latter mainly contributed by(1) Daim's continued and stubborn refusal to answer all those allegations about lining his pockets and (2) by Dr Mahathir's remark about Daim's disloyalty towards Mahathir. Dr Mahathir suggested that Daim was supportive about his currency controls in front of Mahathir but disloyal behind his back.
Where did Mahathir learnt of Daim's 'disloyalty'? From the bitching Abdul Ghani Othman. Ghani may not know it yet- but the mention of his name as the person who ratted on Daim, will prove to be his own undoing. Now, everyone in UMNO will know Ghani is an untrustworthy person.
As I have said, as a politician, Dr Mahathir has not told the whole story as to what aspects about the currency control that Daim objected. I learnt from the Oracle, Daim never objected to currency controls but was against the specific policy tool thought of by Mahathir to bring about currency control and the economy.
Ghani who was present at the meeting of MBs called by Daim should have told Mahathir what it was that Daim said, should not be supported. If Daim had called for a rebellion against Mahathir, all the other MBs would have told Mahathir the same thing. They didn't, only Ghani the big mouth did.
How to account for Daim's stubborn refusal to answer allegations of corruption and of lining his pockets? The Oracle said, Tun Daim did say something about that. As we all know, Tun Daim will never answer Tun Mahathir directly. He didn't even bother to answer allegations of corruption against him, which are more severe that, not answering Mahathir's description is a nonevent for Daim. It will not cause Daim to lose sleep over not answering Mahathir. Daim, said the Oracle lost sleep only by spending time to read The Memoir up to 7 am.
Anyone who knows Tun Daim will know that behind that small frame lies a tenacious and iron willed individual. As Mahathir himself said, Tun Daim will contribute his ideas and criticisms freely without fear or favour.
According to the Oracle- Daim is a focused individual. He told the Oracle he doesn't have time to answer allegations as his main tasks were to secure the bigger objectives. He wasn't about to be distracted by anything other than single-mindedly pursuing his agenda. That was his only explanation and I could squeeze the Oracle for more.
But what about the Memoir as a whole? Daim did pass a message thru the Oracle tough. He says, Mahathir writes from two perspectives. One, as a statesman about his many accomplishments and on the burning issues affecting this country and involving Malays in particular. Two, he writes as a politician.
Now, as a politician, that is a different matter. Any politician writes in pursuit of self-serving agenda. Facts, events, and the role of people are often cooked up or played down. All, in order to self-preserve. Or self-inflate as the case may be. Preserve the ego, preserve the name. in doing that, Dr Mahathir may not lie, but he may not tell the whole story.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
14 comments:
madey kaki kapor
Dato,
Bila tengok cara UMNO berpolitik ne malu la.. macam budak2.
Dato org UMNO tunjukla cara politik yg matang.
Gunakan lah kepandaian untuk menolong rakyat, membantu rakyat mengatasi kekangan rakyat nak hidup. Beri lah idea2 bagaimana mengurangkan beban rakyat.
Saya nak tanya Dato dengan ikhlas, adakah org UMNO ne berpolitik untuk membantu rakyat atau untuk kuasa dan mengumpul kekayaan sendiri?
Jika UMNO bijak sangat dah memerintah lebih 50 tahun, berapa banyak wang simpanan negara dapat dikumpul?
Cuba la Dato kira kekayaan beberapa kerat yang berkuasa dan bandingkan dengan jutaan rakyat yang nak makanpun kena berhutang!!!
Tak payah pikir banyak2 Dato, kalau bijak sangat jangan lah selalu ingat org lain bodoh sokmo.
Dato, so what about his predition for the next GE then. Based on your analysis looks like BN will do really really well.
Daim together with Mahathir or with the later's connivance plundered the country. His corrupt billions are all parked overseas. It is no secret amongst Mas senior personnels that Daim used to air-flighted his millions of cash through Mas.
The RM50 billion Bumi shares lost are his doing. If not for an incompetent ACA/Macc, Daim would have spent time in Sungei Buloh. Anwar had lodged reports both with the ACA & Police that Tajuddin, Halim Saad & Wan Azmi were alloted Bumi shares totalling RM1 billion but they all had documents stating that the shares were held on trust for Daim.
Daim is just a political scum who enriched himself from his public office. I have nothing but scorn for him. I hope he return all his billions that he took from the country. And even Umno's coffers which was built by T.Razaleigh was not free from Daim's dirty hands.
I hope malaysians would give PR just one term to govern the country so that we could get back all the billions stole by Daim and all those corrupt BN leaders. PR Gov't if return to power should employ foreign experts who could trace or track all the ill-gotten gains of Daim and others parked overseas.
Someone should ask where are those containers stashed with RM500 notes... out of curiosity?!!!
Someone should ask why Singapore (with little natural resources)per capita GDP (PPP) USD57,238 vs. Mayasia USD14,276 after Maha thir's 22 years rule?
Kenapa Maju Lah Singapura???
Medical insurance premium just shot up by between 100%-300%. Car insurance also shot up. Harga ayam also up. So many other things are also up. House prices are beyond the affordability of graduates.
Tahniah UMNO/BN, betul-betul rakyat diutamakan!
Dear Sakmongkol
Dr Mahathir and Tun Diam were like Batman and Robin. They operated together. No one would ever think Robin would be disloyal to Batman. And so it was with Diam. There is one particular trait that both Dr M and Diam shared. They never forgave anyone who had the temerity to cross them. You did it once and you are out. So there could never have been any credence to the betrayal story. Diam was too shrewd and clever for that.
Although he held high office both in UMNO and in the cabinet, Diam was never really a politician. He owed those positions to Dr M. Diam himself had no grass root support. He was too aloof and impatient a man to deal with the nitty gritty of grass-roots politics. His forte was in financial scheming, for which he was the undisputed master.
Mahathir needed someone to implement his big ideas, especially those big privatization jobs that led to what we now call money politics. This was said to have started with the need for money to buy votes during the party tussle that Dr M had with TRH. Big projects and privatization deals were channeled through the “Diam Boys”, who provided the kickback necessary to fund UMNO’s political work especially the massive funds needed for running the general elections. Anyone who is ever involved in elections knows this. This is the unspoken dirty little secret. So the “partnership” of Dr M and Diam directly gave rise to money politics and cronyism.
If Diam was never really interested in politics, what was in it for him? Dr M himself had hinted (is this too mild a word?) at corruption. But if it came from him, you have to put a lot of weight on it. But if Diam was culpable so was Dr M. He was the boss. He knew what Diam did. He had the power to investigate and act. But he didn’t and merely mentioned it in his memoirs – a dereliction of duty.
You wonder why not. The answer is simply this. Diam was useful to Dr M in raising money for UMNO and the elections. He delivered what the boss wanted, and the boss asked no questions. This was essentially the relationship between the two. No one ever dared question what Diam did because they knew whom he reported to. To attack Diam was to attack Dr M.
But Diam was an extremely clever man. He didn’t do all that for nothing. What money he raised he probably kept a nice portion for himself. After all, only one person knew exactly how much money was raised – himself. Like they say, when you cross the river, your feet are bound to get wet. When Diam was in power people feared (for his ruthlessness with enemies) and admired him (for his clever schemes and ideas) in about equal measures. Now that he no longer has power, he is just despised.
Howdy
May I hazard a guess? Oracle is Sanusi Junid. If so, we have a common friend.
I based it on the things he said and Syed Putra which is the road where his alumni MACOBA is situated.
Anyhow, Daim is a different kettle of fish from that Anwar. A different league. Way above.
Like Elvis song said Yes he's different, world's apart, he's not the same.
Shrewd, smarter, and a loyal friend unlike Saddle King.
Daim does not need to explain to the people. He can just call up Mahathir, being tight, long-time friends.
He does not need the applause of the street like Anwar does. In his own quiet ways, he is confident, self-asured.
Money talks. It does not bother him as his business tentacles are world-wide.
Why should it bother him since he knows who he is really and the real Mahathir.
Daim can walk in slippers and frayed shirt, yet he commands respect.
People say (not me) he is the keeper of Mahathir's purse.
Once upon a time it was a triumvirate between Mahathir, Sanusi and Daim.
Then came along Nuar, the noveau thrust upon UMNO politician who worm himself in to became close allies. I guess it's the orang Utara connections.
Then Nuar cultivated friendship of Nor Azam, former DBP man who was Mahathir's special assistant. Nuar also sought the company of Nazri Abdullah, Yunus Said of BH and Kadir Jasin of NST.
He used these people to prop himself as the future PM. Somehow he became so powerful that he appears like the shadow PM.
His ambitions steered him clear of Daim and Sanusi. But his sodomy case brought him to his knees. Poetic justice.
As for Ghani, that was news to me. Unsangka-rable. Tittle-tattle, carry tale friend which is very unbecoming. Also gave the wrong feed-back to Mahathir.
Well, he is still MB only on the behest of the late Sultan of Johor.
UMNO wanted to rid him of and put him in Federal but the Sultan wanted him.
Now that the Sultan is no more, I think it's good-bye to him the coming GE. Will not be a candidate.
Daim may not be in Najib's inner circle but he has friends who whisper to him.
So we have got to believe in him that this time BN's showing in the GE will be much better.
He's got credibility whereas Anwar lost it a long time ago.
BENatang10 not the 500 only what about the 1000rm notes which was askd to be brought back at discounted rate.
Dear Sakmongkol
I have just realised that I had inadvertently spelt Tun Daim's name wrongly in my earlier posting. No offence was intended.
I remember Daim, when addressing parliament in his first Budget speech said: My name is Daim. Although some people call me Diam, I am not that quiet.
Funny, mere mortals like us (read: non-UMNOputra) would have been hauled up by ACA/MACC for an anonymous allegation of few thousands Ringgit corruption. For the protected ones like Daim he could simply make-dunno. How nice.
Daim is a saint when it comes to money.
He started the 2nd Board on KLSE.
Every listed company has to allocate bumi shares to his nominees or proxies.
He cornered CLOB giving them no choice but to accept his buyout.
His tentacles were everywhere in stockbroking firms to banks. Corporate Malaysia was plundered!
I am not the least surprised when you mentioned about Tajol Rosli not bothered to see Tun Ghafar, thats why Perak boleh jatuh ketangan Pembangkang gara gara salah caturan memilih calun.Jangan taksub akan kuasa bila bila Allah boleh ambil. Kesian Tun Ghaffar.
Post a Comment