Daim passes away

Former finance minister Daim Zainuddin passed away at Assunta Hospital in Petaling Jaya this morning. He was 86.

His lawyer Gurdial Singh Nijar confirmed the matter.

"Yes. Confirmed his passing on. Funeral this morning," Gurdial said in a brief text message.

"He had a stroke recently and was in the intensive care unit. No further details yet," he added when asked for further details.

Daim left behind his wife Na'imah Abdul Khalid and five children.

The business tycoon was first appointed as the finance minister in 1984 by the then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and served until 1991.

He was appointed to the office again for a second tenure in 1999, also by Mahathir, before he resigned in 2001.

READ MORE: How powerful is Daim Zainuddin?

Daim was previously an Umno member and was an MP for five consecutive terms from 1982 until 1999 (Kuala Muda for one term, and Merbok for four).

Known as a close ally to Mahathir, he was sacked from the party after Daim and several others appeared at a Pakatan Harapan mega ceramah in Malacca in 2018.

MACC probe

The retired politician recently came under the spotlight again after MACC launched investigations against him for suspected graft and money laundering.

He was charged with failing to abide by MACC’s notice to disclose his assets encompassing 38 firms, 25 pieces of land and property, seven luxury vehicles, and two investment fund accounts.

READ MORE: Daim - from teacher to corporate godfather

On top of this, the anti-graft agency reportedly seized Ilham Tower, a high commercial-value building located in Kuala Lumpur, owned by Daim's family.

His wife Na'imah had also been charged separately with a similar offence, while the Inland Revenue Board claimed that she owed over RM313 million to the tax agency.

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