24/11/2024
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1. Daim passed away.
2. I lost a friend.
3. Now people are talking and writing about Daimβs contribution to the country.
4. It is sad. He had to die first. Even those he tutored on finance appreciated him not. Die first.
5. He was already rich in 1981, when I became Prime Minister.
6. He lost money making salt.
7. He made money developing Maluri on 160 acres of land.
8. To become minister, you have to stop business.
9. When you stop business you no longer make money.
10. As Prime Minister in 1981, I was paid RM8000/- p.m.
11. As minister the pay was less. So Daim as Minister of Finance from 1984 to 1991 must have lost a lot of money.
12. Yet the belief is that he made money as minister.
13. Before being minister he was trying to realise the NEP.
14. To catch up with the rich Malaysians you cannot start by selling tom yam or pisang goreng on the road side.
15. Daim wanted Malays to start from the top.
16. He picked on a number of young Malays.
17. These people had no business experience, no capital, no management skill.
18. To start at the top he gave Government projects, contracts, licences etc.
19. Is this abuse of power?
20. If not Government, who?
21. The private sector!! Will the private rich give contracts to inexperienced, unknown people.
22. No way!
23. So if the Government did not there would be no Malay big businesses to catch up with those who were already rich.
24. To grow from selling tom yam and pisang goreng to become millionaires and catch up will take years.
25. The NEP would not be achieved. In fact the disparities would become greater.
26. But why those people which Daim chose. Why not other people? Pick other people, same accusation.
27. Would he then be lauded? No.
28. But many of those he picked, trained and gave opportunities failed.
29. We donβt hear about them. They were not labelled as cronies.
30. So, if you want to avoid being accused of abuse of power, make all that you pick fail.
31. And when they fail, the NEP would fail, the disparities would increase.
32. Actually this was what Daimβs detractors wanted to see.
33. They love to see the rich become richer and the poor poorer.
34. Yes, the NEP was not a great success.
35. But at least a few Malays did succeed.
36. Otherwise, with none at all, the lop-sided growth would be even more lopsided.
37. Malaysia would not be stable. Would not be what it is today.
38. Yes, Daimβs idea did not work as he expected.
39. But think.
40. What if Daim concentrated only on enriching himself.
41. He would be worth RM50 billion today. But of course, he would be hounded by the same people, the people he helped.
DR. MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD
20 November 2024
