Friday 29 Mar 2024
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KUALA LUMPUR: Pakatan Harapan's de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim should be the next Prime Minister succeeding Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, said former Finance Minister Tun Daim Zainuddin.

"Pakatan Harapan has decided that [the next Prime Minister] should be Anwar. And [so] Anwar should be next one," Daim, who is the chairman of the five-man Council of Eminent Persons (CEP), told reporters at Menara Ilham today.

At the same time, Daim also quashed speculation that he was involved in a plot with Dr Mahathir — the so-called 'Dr M-Daim plot' — to stop Anwar from becoming the next premier even though it has been agreed on by all four component parties under the Pakatan Harapan umbrella.

'I have retired from politics and I don't want to respond to Abdullah Sani. He can claim whatever," he added, when asked about the recent allegation by Kapar MP Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid that Daim was hatching a plan to stop Anwar from succeeding Dr Mahathir.

Earlier, Daim said the CEP had completed its 100-day mandate to assist the Pakatan Harapan government in fulfilling its election pledges, as well as to provide advice on socio-economic and financial matters.

At present, Daim said the CEP is bound by the Official Secrets Act 1972, and the findings can only released on the consent of the Prime Minister. “All of us really hope [that our report will be made public], but it is up to the Government,” he said.

He only shared several key themes of the council’s findings, which revolves around the need to improve governance, the well-being of the rakyat, and to ensure the economy is inclusive and sustainable. “And not politicise the civil service,” he added.

To accelerate reforms, Daim said improvements within the Ministry of Finance (MoF) should be made top priority, before other initiatives in other areas can be implemented effectively. “MoF must bring in money and revenue for the country and make sure that expenditure is not wasted,” he said, adding that the entity must be free from all corrupt practices.  

Daim also urged the public to continue supporting the present Government, which he is optimistic is steering the country in the right direction, and asked Malaysians to be patient with the Government's effort to restore the rule of law and justice, which will take longer than the time frame of 100 days.

As to the debacle at 1Malaysia Development Bhd, and various other irregularities in government-linked entities such as Majlis Amanah Rakyat and Lembaga Tabung Haji, Daim said the authorities will ensure they have built up a strong case with a a 90% possibility of securing conviction.

“In order to charge people, first you have to investigate. Before this, there was no investigation. our priority is to make sure certain individuals are being targeted first for investigation," he said.

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