KUALA LUMPUR: Tun Daim Zainuddin defended himself against crony capitalism allegations, stating that he had never been charged with any misconduct.
“The public do not know that everytime they lodge a report, I have been investigated.
“Everytime someone lodged a report, the police and the MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission) comes and investigates me.
“So far, I have not been charged.
“The only thing they have is on RCI (Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Forex scandal), where Tun M and even (PKR de facto leader DatukSeri) Anwar (Ibrahim) was called,” he said during a press conference at Ilham Tower.
Daim said he has been investigated for such matters under three past prime ministers - Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Anwar had called Daim the architect of crony capitalism and that the latter was unable to explain his past problem.
Yesterday (Thursday), Anwar was quoted in an interview as saying that Daim could contribute but he must be aware that people were also expressing deep consternation that he was unable to explain some major problems in the past.
“People say there’s no need to bring old baggage, which is true, but to me, if you want to talk about democratic accountability, it must not stop at (former prime minister) Najib (Abdul Razak),” Anwar had said in a interview with a news portal.
Meanwhile, when asked if this could be an Umno 2.0, Daim answered in the negative.
He said he has been sacked from Umno, so why should he be fighting with or for the party now.
“Why should we? Nobody wants that. It makes no sense,” he said.
Daim is currently chairing the Council of Eminent Persons. --Report by TASNIM LOKMAN, FAHMY AZRIL ROSLI, NURHAYATI ABLLAH and FARAH ADILLA