Two deaths: Daim the quiet and Ibrahim the jovial

 

Two politicians that I had covered as a journalist in the 1980s and 1990s died last week. One – Daim Zainuddin – was a national figure while the other – Dr Ibrahim Saad – was largely a state-level politician.

Daim died on Nov 14 aged 86 while Ibrahim died two days later aged 78.

Both, at that time, were in Umno. And I remember them quite well.

In fact, the New Straits Times (NST) opened an office in Sungai Petani in 1986 and sent me there to take charge simply because Daim – the finance minister and Umno treasurer – was the MP for Merbok.

He was also overseeing Umno’s then investment company Fleet Holdings Sdn Bhd. The NST was part of the Fleet group, so it was no surprise that it opened an office in Sungai Petani which was within the Merbok constituency.

When Daim left Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s cabinet in 1991, I was transferred back to Penang and the Sungai Petani office was subsequently closed.

That should tell us something of the influence that Daim wielded.

He was finance minister from 1984 to 1991 and again from 1999 to 2001. During these years, he vigorously implemented Mahathir’s policies – such as the privatisation of state-owned firms and the creation of a class of Malay entrepreneurs.

I found him to be a politician with no airs. He would visit his constituency at least once a month; and each time he would come in short-sleeved shirts and chapals. He did not fancy elaborate welcomes when he attended functions and he preferred dialogues to giving speeches.

Once, in the early years of his constituency work, he walked up and stood outside a school where he was supposed to hold a dialogue with locals. Nobody recognised him and he didn’t push his way forward. He just stood there with some of the villagers until one of his aides walked up and escorted him to the main table.

He spoke little, which is why some of his constituents and Umno members in Kedah used to joke that he should have been called “Diam” (silent/quiet in Malay) instead of Daim.

I was very curious about this because politicians generally love the limelight. I remember the answer given by his then political secretary Mustapha Mohamed to my question: “My boss does not like to talk alot. He prefers action. And dialogues can help move things.”

But when he did speak, I found Daim’s words to be well thought out.

In later years, he spoke more often and had no qualms about even slamming fellow Malays if he thought they were wrong.

At a forum in March 2019, for instance, he said Malays easily bought into the racist rhetoric of politicians, such as threats against Islam and Malay rights.

“When Mastika (a Malay-language magazine) stopped writing ghost stories, circulation ended and now there is no more Mastika. Now instead of reading about ghosts in Mastika, we are seeing ghosts around every corner.

“Instead of depending on logic and facts, we prefer to buy into the racist rhetoric of politicians with dubious reputations,” he said.

But I always thought of him as being more a businessman than a politician, even when he was at a political ceramah.

In later years, I heard claims from some Umno members that although silent in public, he was adept at backroom political manoeuvres in the party and government.

Many people were also curious about his wealth. When the Pandora Papers linked Daim and others in his inner circle to offshore entities worth at least US$31 million, it became the talk of the town.

The Pandora Papers are documents, leaked in 2021, on the hidden wealth of world leaders, celebrities and others. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission subsequently began investigating him, citing contents in the Pandora Papers.

On Jan 30 this year, Daim claimed trial to a charge of failing to declare 71 assets ranging from luxury cars to a raft of companies, properties and land. Daim’s wife had earlier pleaded not guilty to a similar charge.

Daim claimed that Anwar – with whom he had a bitter fallout during the Mahathir era – was going on a “witch hunt” against his political foes.

He noted that prosecutors had dropped 47 graft charges against deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi after Anwar became prime minister.

He was quoted in the media as saying: “I am not too bothered about my fate now. Let Anwar throw everything at me. But I fear for the fate of my country.”

Anwar had denied that he was seeking revenge, and when Daim died, Anwar messaged his condolence, adding that the government valued the former’s contributions, particularly when he was finance minister.

Daim, who is credited with helping Malaysia’s economy recover from turmoil in the mid-1980s and restoring it from negative growth of 1.03% in 1985 to 9.06% in 1989, died before the court case could proceed.

In his time, he was easily one of the most powerful people in the nation and wielded immense influence in politics and business – without flaunting it.

Ibrahim Saad, however, was a different kettle of fish. Unlike Daim, he loved to be surrounded by journalists and was very comfortable being in the spotlight.

I found him to be very convivial, and he never shied away from answering any question that was asked.

I first met Ibrahim in 1983 when he was the political secretary to then culture, youth and sports minister Anwar Ibrahim.

He contested and won the Seberang Jaya state seat in 1986 and retained it at the following state election.

Some people warned me that he was a “racial fanatic” but I was unable to see any fanaticism in his ways or speeches. He did pay particular attention to uplifting the Malays in Penang, but then he was in Umno whose stated aim is to work for the Malays.

He was disturbed by some whispers about him when he was deputy chief minister, with some calling him “Mr 10%”. He denied any wrongdoing and once even replied to such talk at the state legislative assembly.

Ibrahim served as deputy chief minister of Penang from 1990 to 1995. He then stood for and won the Tasek Gelugor parliamentary seat and was subsequently appointed a deputy minister.

Penang folk will remember him as a jovial, friendly and practical politician. - FMT

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.