Zaid: 'Tsar' Daim's attack on Anwar unfair

Describing him as a “Malaysian economic tsar” whom he admires, Zaid Ibrahim however argued that former finance minister Daim Zainuddin is barking up the wrong tree.

Zaid was responding to an interview published in Berita Harianrecently, in which Daim blamed Anwar Ibrahim when complaining that Malays are no longer able to do business successfully.

“This is most unfair. It’s true that Anwar gave out a lot of shares and contracts to his friends when he was finance minister, but Anwar was just doing what other powerful finance ministers did and are still doing in Malaysia,” Zaid (left) said in his blog posting.

This is why, today, Zaid said, the Malaysian prime minister is also the finance minister.

“We must be the only country with this peculiar habit of vesting both portfolios in one man.

“Umno strongmen are good at ensuring the gravy train is available to their colleagues and those in their team as a reward for their loyalty and support; and with the money, they then cling to power as long as they can,” he added.

The former minister said Anwar, however, was supportive of economic programmes that helped small businessmen.

“He did many things for rural development too. It’s grossly unfair to blame him for everything ‘wrong’ with the Malays today,” Zaid said.

Daim blames the British as well

In his interview with Berita Harian, Daim had also blamed the predicament faced by the Malays on the British for colonising the country.

However, Zaid argued the fact is that the British also colonised Hong Kong but that didn’t stop the Chinese in Hong Kong from being good at business.

“Likewise, the British ruled India for 200 years but that hasn’t stopped Indians from becoming successful merchants, industrialists and technology innovators.

“So, it’s unlikely that Malays have suffered more than others at the hands of the British. It’s unlikely that the British left a legacy that has crippled our ability to do business for generations - even 60 years after Independence,” he added.

Unlike Daim, Zaid said, he sees a lot of Malay business success stories - the aristocrats, senior civil servants, ministers and oligarches in Malaysia are wealthy and they are Malays.

“But of course they belong to a different class compared to the ordinary Malay,” Zaid said.

“As I mentioned, they (like Daim) would rather remain anonymous and keep control from the background, which is why they are not perceived to be wealthy like the Chinese.

“They became wealthy because they held power in the land - and when they didn’t have actual power, they nevertheless had access to it,” he said.

'Wealthy Malays know the game'

Zaid also noted that wealthy Malays know the game.

In Malaysia, he said, successful businesspeople are politically savvy; and when politics and business mix freely, it’s impossible for Malays not to be “successful”.

“Of course, when there is a changing of the guard - for example, when we have a new prime minister (which also means a new finance minister) - then members of the incoming group will get priority. They have more of the gravy than their predecessors.

“Sometimes, political dissatisfaction becomes widespread when businesses are diverted to the new regime. This is inevitable in the Umno system where money - and not politics - is primary,” added Zaid, once an Umno man himself. 

Preferring to talk about the ordinary folk in the villages and towns, Zaid said they might not be recognised by Umno as successful because they are not millionaires and might not support the party.

“They work hard at whatever they do. Some sell keropok or kain tudung. Some operate kedai makan while others export halal food to China or trade with Middle-Eastern countries. They make good money. They save their profits and they expand when they have sufficient capital.

“There is no reason to belittle their efforts or to describe them as unsuccessful. Other Malays are doing well in professional services and hold executive positions in major corporations. Petronas is successful, for example, and there are many Malays there.

“I wish Umno politicians will cease stereotyping Malays to fit their own ideas of success,” Zaid added.