[Sewaktu mengirim berita ini Mahathir telah melantik dirinya sendiri (buat sementara?) sebagai Menteri Kewangan dan Menteri Tugas-tugas Khas yang bertanggungjawab memulihkan ekonomi (AFP). Sesiapa yang mungkin dilantik nanti dijangka tidak akan mampu bergerak bebas dan lebih merupakan robot kawalan jauh Mahathir sendiri. Mahathir memerlukan seseorang yang dapat dikawal jika tidak keadaan mungkin akan menjadi tidak terkawal. Dia memerlukan seseorang untuk mengimbangi kekuatan Dolah Badawi dan Najib mungkin dapat mengisi ruang ini. Namun begitu beliau ingin mengawal segala perancangan ekonomi dan Najib tidak sesuai di sini. Orang baru seperti Awang Adek Hussin mungkin sesuai kerana beliau telahpun bersara dari BNM untuk aktif dalam politik.

Tidak kira siapa pun menjawatnya - Mahathirlah sebenarnya yang lebih berkuasa menguruskan ekonomi dan mempunyai kata-putus yang tidak boleh dibantah sesiapa nanti. Dengan ini beliau akan dapat merancang sesuatu untuk memusnahkan perniagaan Daim seandainya Daim memberontak atau menyerangnya melalui kem Badawi (atau kem reformasi?). - Editor]

http://sg.biz.yahoo.com/010605/15/s70c.html

Tuesday June 5, 7:14 PM

Asst Malaysia Central Bank Gov -2: May Become Finance Min

KUALA LUMPUR (Dow Jones)--Bank Negara Malaysia Tuesday said its Assistant Governor Awang Adek Hussin has resigned to be actively involved in politics, national news agency Bernama reported.

Awang Adek has served Bank Negara for 16 years, the central bank said in a brief statement.

The Financial Times, UK
4th June 2001

Malaysia mulls next move of Mahathir

By Douglas Wong in Singapore

Daim Zainuddin, Malaysia's finance minister, left the national stage quietly over the weekend, leaving Mahathir Mohamad, prime minister, solely in control of the nation's economic and political future.

Dr Mahathir told reporters on Saturday he had accepted the resignation of his longtime ally but not thought about a replacement yet. Observers were left to speculate that he might assume the powerful post himself, even if he takes the opportunity to reshuffle his cabinet.

Only two other men have served as Dr Mahathir's finance minister - Razaleigh Hamzah, who has still not been accepted back fully after challenging for the top post in the ruling party, Umno, in 1987, and Anwar Ibrahim, who was sacked in 1998 and is serving a 15-year jail sentence after being prosecuted for corruption and s###my.

While Mr Daim is credited with a leading role in Malaysia's transformation from being resource-based to a modern manufacturing economy and steering it out of two recessions, he became a political liability for Dr Mahathir's government amid accusations that he used public funds to bail out business associates.

Analysts said that Mr Daim's resignation, effective on June 1, along with recent developments, such as the withdrawal from the corporate scene of Dr Mahathir's eldest son, may be signs that Asia's longest-serving ruler is responding more to rising public discontent. However, critics kept up the pressure over the weekend.

"I hope this represents a change in the government's financial culture rather than just a change of personality," said Sharir Samad, a member of Umno's supreme council.

Fadzil Noor, president of the Islamic party, PAS, said that with Mr Daim gone, "Dr Mahathir must be made accountable for everything concerning the country's finances".

Even within the political establishment, tensions have been growing while Dr Mahathir has made efforts to stem the fall in support for his ruling coalition. "This could be the calm before the storm," said an aide to an Umno minister on Mr Daim's quiet exit from all his government and party posts.

http://www.ft.com

The Australian
4th June 2001

Malaysian economic tsar resigns

By Ian Stewart

ECONOMIC tsar Daim Zainuddin, seen by many as Malaysia's second most powerful man, has resigned from the Government of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

Mr Daim's departure comes after months of speculation that he was planning to step down because of policy differences with Dr Mahathir.

But analysts believe that, while there may have been disagreements between the two men, his resignation was prompted by his desire to resume the business activities that made him one of Malaysia's richest citizens.

Although Mr Daim, 63, has served twice as finance minister and on each occasion guided Malaysia out of an economic recession, he has been politically unambitious and repeatedly indicated that he would like to give up public office.

His departure leaves two posts vacant - Finance Minister and Special Functions Minister. He was also expected to give up his position as executive director of the National Economic Action Council, which was set up during the 1998 recession.

It was unclear whether he would continue to act as treasurer of the United Malays National Organisation, the dominant government party.

Announcing Mr Daim's resignation, Dr Mahathir implied that he would have preferred he stay on. The Prime Minister also disclosed that Mr Daim had already raised the question of his resignation.

"Two months ago he asked to resign but I told him to go on leave first and reconsider his decision."

Dr Mahathir said he had not thought about a successor.

Whoever is chosen will not have the authority held by Mr Daim as Dr Mahathir's most trusted confidant, which led many people to see him as the second most powerful man in Malaysia.

Mr Daim, a lawyer who became a successful businessmen, and Dr Mahathir, a medical practitioner who became a successful politician, have had a close relationship since the middle of the 1970s.

In 1979, Mr Daim set up Peremba, a government property development body, drawing around him a team of "young and bright" men who went on to become leading business figures.

Government deals, which recently helped some of "Daim's boys", as they were called by the media, extricate themselves from financial difficulties, were criticised as "bailouts".