Report: Daim Zainuddin dies at 86

Former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin as seen leaving the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex on January 29, 2024. — Picture by Firdaus Latif

By Yiswaree Palansamy

Wednesday, 13 Nov 2024 9:45 AM MYT

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 13 — Former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin died this morning, aged 86.

His death was first confirmed by his lawyer Datuk Gurdial Singh Nijar, national news agency Bernama reported.

In a statement later, Daim’s family said he died at 8.21am at Assunta Hospital in Petaling Jaya, adding that funeral prayers will be held at the Federal Territories Mosque at Jalan Duta before burial today.

On January 29, Daim, whose full name is Che Abdul Daim Zainuddin, pled not guilty to charges of failing to comply with a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) notice for not declaring his assets which include luxury vehicles, companies and properties across Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Pahang, Negeri Sembilan, Perak and Kedah.

A week prior on January 23, his wife Toh Puan Na’imah Abdul Khalid, 66, was charged with one count of failing to comply with a MACC notice by not declaring assets, which included Menara Ilham and several properties in Kuala Lumpur and Penang.

Both were charged under Section 36(2) of the MACC Act 2009, which carries a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to RM100,000 for those convicted.

During trial previously, the court was given a medical report from Assunta Hospital that gave an account of Daim’s past multiple strokes and brain haemorrhage that resulted in his unsteady gait.

The former Umno politician and businessman served as Malaysia’s finance minister from 1984 to 1991, and again from 1999 to 2001.

He was known to have played a pivotal role in steering Malaysia through several economic challenges, including the 1997 Asian financial crisis.

Following the first Pakatan Harapan electoral victory in 2018 in which Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was prime minister, Daim chaired the quasi-official Council of Eminent Persons to reform the country’s policies after decades of Barisan Nasional governance.