Daim: I will continue to advise PM, gov't, as and when needed
Former chairperson of Council of Eminent Persons (CEP), Daim Zainuddin will continue to advise the government, and Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, when his service is needed.
"When advice is sought, I will go and help," he said briefly when asked about his role in the government, and link to the premier...
Former chairperson of Council of Eminent Persons (CEP), Daim Zainuddin will continue to advise the government, and Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, when his service is needed.
"When advice is sought, I will go and help," he said briefly when asked about his role in the government, and link to the premier.
At a dialogue session at the Defence Ministry earlier, Daim was introduced as a government advisor, after which he spoke about the trade war between the US and China.
Daim is seen as a trusted lieutenant of the premier having been appointed finance minister between 1984 and 1991 and again from 1999 to 2001.
He also campaigned for Pakatan Harapan for the 14th general election.
Following Harapan's win at the May 9 polls, Daim was entrusted to head Council of Eminent Persons (CEP) to submit recommendations and advice for the nation's economic and institutional reforms.
In August 2018, Mahathir said CEP was still needed and Daim would continue to head it.
At the dialogue session earlier, Daim suggested the Foreign Ministry and International Trade and Industry Ministry merge as the former often dealt with international trade issues.
"I am convinced we need a great clearinghouse for decision-making on foreign policy involving at least Wisma Putra and the International Trade and Industry Ministry," he said.
He noted that on several occasions the two ministries had engaged in talks with their Asean counterparts but without first consulting each other.
"Wisma Putra negotiated what seemed like a harmless general declaration on the Asean-China Strategic Partnership Vision 2030 adopted in Singapore last November.
"In doing so, they should have considered how it can be useful to resolve specific issues like making Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) contract more effective and transparent in conjunction with the Master Plan on Asean Connectivity (MPAC) 2025.
"They should have consulted the Ministry of International Trade and Industry and this ministry, in turn, should have thought the document through and consulted others," he pointed out.
"There are examples where the two are combined in a single ministry, called the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade," he said.
