TUN’S
BIOGRAPHY
EDUCATION
EDUCATION
1945-1948
Primary education at Seberang Perak Malay School, Kedah.
1949-1953
Secondary education at Sultan Abdul Hamid College, Kedah.
1954-1955
St. Xavier’s Institution, Penang.
1957-1959
Barrister-at-Law, Lincoln’s Inn, London.
1977-1979
Visiting Scholar, University of California, Berkeley.
1991-1992
Visiting Scholar, Harvard Institute of International Development (Harvard University).
1992-1994
Visiting Scholar, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.
2002-2003
Visiting Fellow, Cambridge University UK.
2019
Doctor of Philosophy [PhD], University Malaya.
LIFE AND CAREER
LIFE AND CAREER
1938 - 1959
1938
Born in Alor Setar, Kedah.
1945-1948
Seberang Perak Malay School, Kedah.
1949-1953
Sultan Abdul Hamid College, Kedah.
1954-1955
St Xavier’s Institution, Penang.
1956-1957
Temporary teacher at Sultan Abdul Hamid College, Kedah.
1957- 1959
Lincoln’s Inn, London.
1960 - 1969
1960 – 1962
Began his professional legal practice at Pillai & Co., he later moved on to Shearn Delamore. In 1962, moved to Kelantan and worked at Wan Mustafa & Co.
1961
Admitted to the Malayan Bar.
1962
Joined the Malaysian Judicial and Legal Service.
1962 - 1963
Magistrate in Johor Baru, Johor.
1963 - 1964
Sessions Court Judge in Muar, Johor.
1964 - 1965
Deputy Public Prosecutor in Ipoh, Perak.
1965
Returned to private legal practice with Allen & Gledhill, and thereafter as founding partner in Daim & Gamany.
1969
Ventured into business in Selangor and Melaka, including salt production, food manufacturing (Sedap Food), and food packaging (Daibochi).
1970 - 1983
1971
Started a property development company, developing various housing estates including Taman Maluri and Taman Bukit Maluri in Kuala Lumpur.
1977 - 1979
Visiting Scholar, University of California, Berkeley, USA.
1980
Appointed as the first Chairman of Peremba, the property development arm of the Urban Development Authority, UDA.
1980 - 1982
Senator, Parliament of Malaysia.
1982
Chairman of Fleet Holdings Sdn Bhd, UMNO’s investment arm.
1982
Majority shareholder of Malaysian French Bank Berhad.
1982
Purchased a 33% stake in Sime UEP, the main developer of Subang Jaya township.
1982
Chairman of Syarikat Televisyen Malaysia (TV3) and Rakyat First Merchant Bankers.
1982 - 1986
Member of Parliament for Kuala Muda, Kedah.
1984 - 1989
1984
Sold stake in Malaysian French Bank Berhad to Multi-Purpose Holdings Berhad (MPHB) in exchange for a stake in United Malayan Banking Corporation (UMBC).
1984 - 2001
Treasurer-General of UMNO.
1984 - 1991
Finance Minister of Malaysia.
1984 - 1991
Member of Lembaga Pemegang Amanah Yayasan Pelaburan Bumiputra.
1985
Treasurer of the ruling political component party, Barisan Nasional.
1986 - 2004
Member of Parliament for Merbok, Kedah.
1986
Divested all shares in UMBC, Sime Darby, Sistem Televisyen Malaysia (TV3), Cold Storage, Guthrie Ropen, Malayan Banking, Technology Resources Industries (TRI), Idris Hydraulic, Oriental Holdings, Tasik Cement, Industrial Oxygen, Bolton Properties, Malayan Flour, SPK, and Syarikat Permodalan dan Perusahaan Perak Berhad (SPPPB).
1990 - 1994
1990 -2001
Joint Chairman of Langkawi Development Authority [LADA].
1991
Vice Chairman of Malaysian Business Council (Majlis Perdagangan Malaysia).
1991 – 1998
Adjunct Professor, Universiti Utara Malaysia.
1991-1992
Visiting Scholar, Harvard Institute of International Development (Harvard University).
1992-1994
Visiting Scholar, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.
1992 - 2000
Chairman of Northern Growth Triangle project (IMT-GT) between Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia and special representative for the East Asean Growth Area (EAGA) between the Philippines, Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia.
1992 - 2000
Chairman of Labuan Development Authority.
1994
Honorary Degree, Malaysian Institute of Planners.
1994
Founding Chairman, International Commercial Bank Group, with establishments in Europe, Asia and Africa.
1994 – 1998
Pro-Chancellor of Universiti Sains Malaysia.
1995 - 1999
1995
Honorary Doctor of Management, Universiti Utara Malaysia.
1995
Honorary Doctor of Economics, Universiti Sains Malaysia.
1997
Conferred the title of Dato’ Sri Paduka Mahkota Selangor (SPMS) by DYMM Sultan Selangor, carrying the title “Dato’ Seri”.
1997- 1998
Chairman of Kumpulan Ladang-Ladang Perbadanan Kedah Sdn Bhd.
1997 - 1999
Founder member of Malaysian Wetlands Foundation.
1997
Executive Director, National Economic Action Council (NEAC), a special consultative body to the Cabinet established to spearhead economic recovery policies).
1998
Honorary Degree, Malaysian Institute of Engineers.
1998
Minister of Special Functions, Prime Minister’s Department.
1999
Minister of Finance, until dissolution of Parliament for general election in November 1999.
1999 - 2001
Re-appointed Minister of Finance and Minister of Special Functions following Barisan Nasional’s general election victory.
2000 - 2009
2000
Conferred the title of Darjah Gemilang Seri Melaka (DGSM) by Melaka, carrying the title “Datuk Seri”.
2001
Retired from all official government posts including that of Treasurer, Barisan Nasional and UMNO.
2002 - 2003
Visiting Fellow, Cambridge University, United Kingdom.
2002 – 2011
Appointed to Board of Governors, East-West Center, Hawaii, USA. Member of the East-West Center Audit Committee.
2005
Honorary Doctorate in Economy, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
2006
Conferred the National Order of Benin award by the Government of Republic of Benin, Africa.
2006
Awarded the International Business Leader 2006 Award by the African Investor magazine for his vision and active investments in the International Commercial Banks (ICBs) operating in Africa.
2009
Appointed to Coca Cola Malaysia’s Advisory Group.
2009 -2013
Chairman of the Internal Audit Committee, Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
2009 -2013
Member of the Board of Trustees, Multimedia University, Malaysia.
2010 - 2024
2011
Awarded Distinguished Associateship by Asia-Europe Institute, University of Malaya.
2014
Honorary Doctorate in Economy, Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP).
2018
Chairman of the Council of Eminent Persons.
2019
Doctor of Philosophy, PhD, Universiti Malaya for the thesis “The Creation and Implementation of the New Economic Policy: Success and Failure, 1970 – 2008” (“Penciptaan dan Pelaksanaan Dasar Ekonomi Baru: Kejayaan dan Kegagalan, 1970-2008”).
2019
Honorary Doctor of Economics, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu.
2020
Conferred the Harun Ar Rasyid award by ABIM.
2023
Actively involved in developing the Malaysian agriculture sector through various farm visits and advising SMEs in the agriculture and food production sector.
13 NOVEMBER 2024
Tun Dr Daim Zainuddin passed away at the age of 86.
