Daim backs Najib Razak , rejects Anwar

KUALA LUMPUR: Former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin says Najib Tun Razak is doing a fairly good job and should be given the mandate to lead the country and continue with his transformation policies.

Urging voters to give Najib Razak the chance for five years, the Umno veteran said: “Test him. Give him the mandate. He is doing a fairly good job. Let’s see him deliver and continue with his transformation policies.”
In an interview with the New Sunday Times, Daim indicated his preference for Najib Razak to win instead of Anwar Ibrahim whom he deemed as not the right candidate to be the prime minister.

“If you ask me, between the two, Najib Razak or Anwar, I would choose Najib. I will give Najib the chance. Give him the mandate and see whether he delivers because Anwar has had his chances, but he blew them.
“I want Najib to win because I don’t think Anwar is the right candidate to be prime minister,” he said.

“I believe he will mess up the country by getting advice from the likes of the IMF (International Monetary Fund), World Bank and Wolfowitz (Paul Wolfowitz, former World Bank president),” he said.
Daim, who served as the finance minister from 1984 to 1991 and as the special functions minister in 1998 before being reappointed as the finance minister from 1999 to 2001, said it was dangerous if an opposition under Anwar was to lead the country.

“I am worried as he does not have the depth in economy, always needed people to tell him — what to think and what to do,” he said.
So far, he said, there had not been even one significant idea from Anwar as the economic advisor to the Selangor government. Worse, he said, Selangor had badly handled its water issue, which had dismayed developers, investors and the people.

“Why doesn’t he (Anwar) become economic advisor to Kelantan and Kedah if Pakatan believes he is good? Think seriously. Think of our future,” he said.
Reshuffle the cabinet

To a question that Anwar believed that he was destined to become the next prime minister, Daim said: “Well, destiny is an act of God. You can be only one heartbeat away from that post but man proposes, God disposes. I think God still loves Malaysia.”

Daim said he would support Najib Razak but the prime minister must fight corruption and crime, strengthen the nation’s security and review the education system.
He also said that Najib should reshuffle the cabinet.

“Bring in new faces. People think he is carrying too much deadwood in the cabinet. Most are already past their use-by date,” he said.
On the chances of the Barisan Nasional (BN) in the general election, Daim, whose prognosis was interestingly followed, said BN would win but there must be unity within the coalition.“Umno has about 3.3 million members, MCA, about one million and MIC, about 600,000. That’s already about half of the voters.

“Now, you only need some support from the fence-sitters, you should then be able to win. But BN must put new and clean candidates who are acceptable to voters,” he said.

Daim said that if the BN was not united, the opposition pact would do better, as what happened in 2008.
“Stay united, be loyal and don’t sabotage. We need a steady and experienced hand. Only BN has the experience.
“We have gone through crisis after crisis, and recovered very quickly. We have to tell the Chinese that we cannot experiment. Look at Japan. Look around us. Look at Britain. Study what is happening,” he said.
Daim said Anwar had repeatedly said that there would be an Arab Spring-like demonstration should the opposition lose in the next general election because of what they deem as “cheating”.
“He (Anwar) has set the stage to justify their losses if they lose in the next general election. Pakatan is prepping the people so that they can scapegoat the government and the Election Commission.
“First, we are not an Arab country. And second, if there was rigging in previous general elections, how did Pakatan win five states in 2008?
“Arab Spring has turned out to be an Arab Fall (for the lack of a unifying leadership and the instability it has induced),” he said.