KUALA LUMPUR, March 20 -- Tun Daim Zainuddin has a "certain ability" that made him best suited as the government's negotiator on the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), the prime minister said in Parliament today.

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was answering Datuk Seri Ismail Mohamed Said (BN-Kuala Krau), who asked why the former head of the Council of Eminent Persons was appointed to negotiate with Beijing ahead of Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng.

"We chose based on a certain ability. Sometimes when we negotiate, we need someone who can be accepted by the other party, and we all have certain restrictions in choosing the negotiator," Dr Mahathir said.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Malay Mail....