Umno veteran and former finance minister
Daim Zainuddin warned that if the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC)
scandal is not managed properly, it will affect the BN's fate in the
next general election.
"Generally, people tend to forget an issue after 14 days but 'Cowgate' is different, regardless of ethnicity, whether Malay, Chinese or Indian, they all know what a cow is about, the rural folk also know the value of a cow.
"You have to be careful, 'Cowgate' can affect many votes," he told Sin Chew Daily in an exclusive interview published today.
The NFC scandal has a far greater impact compared with the Lynas rare earths plant issue, said Daim (left), because taxpayers' money is used in the cattle breeding project.
The rare earth plant at Gebeng, Pahang, will not impact much on other states, he opined.
On the possible political landscape after the next polls, Daim said it will be most unfortunate if Umno manages to maintain its support but with both MCA and Gerakan wiped out by voters.
It will show that the electorate is voting along racial lines instead of as Malaysians, and the country will continue to be divided by racial differences, he elaborated.
As a close colleague of former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Daim was Umno treasurer from 1984 to 2001.
He served as finance minister from 1984 to 1991 and as minister with special functions at the Prime Minister's Department in 1998, before being re-appointed as finance minister in 1999. He retired in 2001.
A year before the 2008 general election, Daim warned that BN will lose Penang, Selangor and Kedah and the 'Daim prophecy' proved true when the coalition was hit by the 'political tsunami' on March 8 that year.
"Generally, people tend to forget an issue after 14 days but 'Cowgate' is different, regardless of ethnicity, whether Malay, Chinese or Indian, they all know what a cow is about, the rural folk also know the value of a cow.
"You have to be careful, 'Cowgate' can affect many votes," he told Sin Chew Daily in an exclusive interview published today.
The NFC scandal has a far greater impact compared with the Lynas rare earths plant issue, said Daim (left), because taxpayers' money is used in the cattle breeding project.The rare earth plant at Gebeng, Pahang, will not impact much on other states, he opined.
On the possible political landscape after the next polls, Daim said it will be most unfortunate if Umno manages to maintain its support but with both MCA and Gerakan wiped out by voters.
It will show that the electorate is voting along racial lines instead of as Malaysians, and the country will continue to be divided by racial differences, he elaborated.
As a close colleague of former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Daim was Umno treasurer from 1984 to 2001.
He served as finance minister from 1984 to 1991 and as minister with special functions at the Prime Minister's Department in 1998, before being re-appointed as finance minister in 1999. He retired in 2001.
A year before the 2008 general election, Daim warned that BN will lose Penang, Selangor and Kedah and the 'Daim prophecy' proved true when the coalition was hit by the 'political tsunami' on March 8 that year.
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