KUALA LUMPUR: Kedah-born Tun Daim Zainuddin -- Malaysia's former Finance Minister and a long-time UMNO treasurer -- speaks frankly about issues affecting Malaysia and Malaysians, in this translation of an interview that appeared in the Malay language daily, Mingguan Malaysia. Q: What do you think of the country’s political development in 2012? A: As we can see, the country’s political transformation seems to be more effective. The government has taken several initiatives and acted on what the Opposition had wanted to do like abolish ISA. I see the Peaceful Assembly Act as the main catalyst for change. At first, it was heavily criticised but the decision to allow Anwar’s supporters to gather outside the court on Jan 2 in the spirit of the new act which at the time has not been gazetted, silenced critics. I will not comment on Anwar’s acquittal because the Attorney General’s Chambers has filed an appeal. If you compare Anwar’s and Najib’s traits, you will be compelled to give...