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Malaysia’s former finance minister Daim Zainuddin dies at 86
The tycoon and key ally of ex-PM Mahathir Mohamad had spent his final years under scrutiny from anti-corruption investigators
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Powerful Malaysian tycoon and politician Daim Zainuddin died on Wednesday morning at the age of 86 after a prolonged stay in hospital.
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His final years were spent in a wheelchair and under the scrutiny of anti-corruption investigators, who seized assets and charged him with a failure to disclose his vast wealth.
Daim’s family confirmed his death in a statement. He had been receiving treatment at the Assunta Hospital in Petaling Jaya, just outside Kuala Lumpur.
Daim had been released on bail after he and his wife, Naimah Khalid, were implicated in a high-profile corruption crackdown that they claimed was politically motivated – targeting rivals of current Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
“I have lost a friend who has been with me fighting for the people, country and religion. I am beside myself in grief,” said two-time former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad in a statement.
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“At the end of his life, he was scorned without reason … because of revenge.”
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