KUALA LUMPUR: In the annals of political history, few can boast the ability to weather controversy as effectively as Malaysia’s former finance minister Daim Zainuddin . The recent flood of positive obituaries for Daim after his death - acclaiming him as a key architect of Malaysia’s economic success during the 1980s and 1990s - offers a poignant example of how controversy can fade in the face of a larger, indelible political legacy. His legacy, as well as that of his longtime ally and friend Mahathir Mohamad, is shaped by decades of power struggles, political manoeuvring and complex personal dynamics.
Both men have come to embody the paradox of Malaysian politics: Towering figures who have at times been defined by allegations of corruption and abuse of power, but whose contributions to the country's development are undeniable. Daim served as Mahathir’s finance minister during the latter’s first tenure as prime minister from 1984 to 1991. His policies to liberalise Malaysia’s economy and attract foreign investment led to record growth.
He served as finance minister again after the dismissal of Anwar Ibrahim from 1998 to 2001, helping Malaysia weather the aftershocks of the Asian financial crisis . However, Daim recently came under scrutiny in an anti-graft probe led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government. He was charged in January for failing to declare assets such as companies, properties and luxury cars.
Yet Daim's death saw a rush of reverential tributes t.