Daim doubts Umno support for embattled Najib

Former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin expressed doubts over Umno's support for its president Datuk Seri Najib Razak as he faced renewed criticism. – The Malaysian Insider filepic, April 10, 2015.A veteran Umno leader doubts the party’s support for its president Datuk Seri Najib Razak as the prime minister faces intensified pressure from his predecessor to resign.

Former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin said that typical Umno behaviour was to outwardly show support and loyalty to their president, as in the case with Najib now.

But it was difficult to tell whether that support was real and what were the true feelings of Umno grassroots leaders towards Najib, Daim said in an interview with news portal the Malaysia Gazette.

Daim’s observations come as Najib faces a new round of criticism from former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the man who backed him to replace Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, but is now saying he is worse than Abdullah.

Umno leaders and Barisan Nasional MPs have come out to declare their support for Najib as he faces new calls from Dr Mahathir to resign as prime minister and Umno president.

“In front of their leaders, (Umno members) are loyal but when they start panicking, they will get desperate. That is the Umno way.

“Like in the case of Tunku Abdul Rahman and Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, when the time comes, they will act. Maybe Umno is still confident but is uncomfortable with what is going on now.”

Daim, who has been critical of Najib’s fiscal policies, said there was a view that the show of support for Najib from Umno, reflected how weak he really was.

“That is one way of looking at, if you are strong then why do you need to have a show of support,” said Daim, referring to a March 8 gathering of 160 Umno division leaders who pledged their support to Najib.

“But from the feedback from these division leaders, they were given a briefing without the opportunity to have a question and answer session.

“We also do not know what is in their hearts,” Daim said, adding that he doubted that 160 division leaders actually showed up.

In the interview, Daim also touched on the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) saga, which he said was now an issue that is talked about even among rural folk.

“In the past only urban folk understood 1MDB, now even kampung folk are talking about it because it involves large amounts of debt, RM42 billion.”

He added that people were also questioning whether the government was sincere in solving the troubled company’s problems.

These doubts are present even though the government has ordered the Auditor-General to do a thorough probe into 1MDB’s accounts.

“People question how transparent can the Auditor-General be as he also reports to the finance minister and the prime minister.

“So there would be a problem of trust in the investigation.”

This scandal was one reason Daim said he written to Najib to suggest that the prime minister should not also handle the Finance Ministry portfolio.

“If there is a problem like this, it won’t be the prime minister’s fault if he is not the finance minister.

“If the finance minister makes a mistake and he is also the prime minister, you can’t get mad at him or remove him.

“If the finance minister was someone else, you can take action against him.”

- TMI