Don’t make Anwar PM immediately, says Daim

Daim Zainuddin says Dr Mahathir Mohamad succeeded where the opposition failed for many years.

(FMT) – Former finance minister Daim Zainuddin has warned against appointing Anwar Ibrahim as prime minister immediately after his return to Parliament.

Daim, who now leads the Council of Elders under Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s administration, said the transition should be “mid-term”, adding that it would be “foolish” to change prime ministers now.

“If you break your promise to the people, they are not going to trust you anymore,” he added in an interview with Singapore’s Straits Times.

He also said he had met with Anwar and told him: “You all tried how many elections and failed. Whether you like it or not, Mahathir succeeded.” 

Anwar, 70, was due to be released from the Sungai Buloh prison on June 8 with time taken off his sentence for good behaviour. He was handed a five-year jail sentence in 2015 for sodomy charges which his supporters maintain were politically motivated.

However, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong has agreed to grant the PKR de facto leader a full pardon which will be finalised tomorrow.

Mahathir had previously said he would remain prime minister for two years before stepping down for Anwar to take over. Anwar’s wife, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, meanwhile, will be the deputy prime minister.

On Sunday, Anwar said PKR was firmly behind Mahathir’s leadership amid discontent over the Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman’s appointment of three Cabinet positions, none of which went to PKR.

He also told the PKR leadership to ensure the strength of the PH federal government under Mahathir and Wan Azizah was maintained.