Zaid Ibrahim joins PKR
June 13, 2009
Ex-UMNO Minister Zaid joins PKR
by Tarani Palani@ www. malaysiakini.com
Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim, quit the cabinet and was subsequently sacked from UMNO last year, has today joined opposition party PKR. The announcement was made by PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim at the PKR extraordinary congress in Bangi, Selangor this afternoon.
Anwar said that Zaid’s membership in PKR will help boost the party because “he is known for his bravery in defending human rights and the independence of judiciary”. He also said that Zaid has a good relationship with DAP and PAS and his decision to join PKR will help strengthen Pakatan Rakyat.
Zaid’s role in the opposition coalition will be discussed at the Pakatan Rakyat leadership meeting to be held the Monday after next. “With his experience and leadership, he can help strengthen the Pakatan secretariat,” said Anwar.
Ready to help Pakatan to be viable gov’t
Zaid, who was present, said that he hoped to contribute to the party. “I’m confident in the party’s cause… I believe I have an opportunity to assist Anwar and PKR.” He added that his personal views are in tune with PKR – a party which he described as “multiracial” and “fights for the rights of the Malaysian people”.
“I am ready to help Pakatan become an alternative and viable government that the people can rely on.” said Zaid. When asked why he picked today to announce his decision, Zaid said today was a “historic day” as PKR embarked on bold constitutional amendments within the party. Because of this, he felt today was a good day to make the announcement.
PKR is holding a one-day EGM to discuss major changes to the party constitution which will introduce direct elections, term limits to party posts and a 30 percent quota for women in the leadership.
Anwar said Zaid will soon be appointed as a member in the party’s powerful supreme council and its political bureau, pending approval from PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
Decision not a surprise
Zaid resigned from the cabinet in 2008 in protest of the arrests of three prominent individuals – DAP parliamentarian Teresa Kok, controversial blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin, and Sin Chew Daily journalist Tan Hoon Cheng – under the Internal Security Act. He was sacked from UMNO three months later.
Zaid, who owns the country’s largest law firm, served as Kota Bharu parliamentarian from 2004 to 2008. A strong advocate for judicial reforms, Zaid was increasingly disillusioned at the tail-end of former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s government. His decision to join PKR did not come as a surprise as Zaid was often seen mingling with Pakatan Rakyat leaders in recent months.
Din,
This is good news for Pakatan Rakyat.
With his liberal views, I hope Zaid could contribute to strengthen Pakatan.
Welcome on board,Datuk Zaid. With your good networking with young Malay professionals we can see that the end is near for UMNO.
Tean - June 13, 2009 at 5:05 pm
Tean,
I join you in congratulating Dato Zaid Ibrahim for joining PKR. This is one of the most welcome news we have had in months. His membership of our party does reflect Anwar Ibrahim’s ability to attract good men and women into his reformist party. I am positive that Zaid’s contribution to our cause for change will be enormous because, as you say, he has excellent networks in Malaysia and our region. –Din Merican
dinobeano - June 13, 2009 at 7:28 pm
Excellent! What an asset… Dato’ Zaid is indeed fresh air! He has shown the fire in his belly, his spine and is highly principled.
Someone remarked that this will encourage MCA and other unmentionables to leave Be-End. Whoever they are, they are scum of the earth – its all about their self preservation and they are as principled as any spineless nematodal parasite… Do not encourage them to join PKR/DAP/Pas!
Menyalak-er - June 13, 2009 at 8:50 pm
Seems like PKR is becoming the OBA for UMNO. Hope they leave the excess baggage behind and no UMNO like tactics in PKR.
One man ain’t gonna make a a tsunami. More Zaids need to quit UMNO and join PR to make a difference.
shrek - June 14, 2009 at 5:49 am
The battle for the minds of the Malay intelligentsia is easier than the battle for the hearts and minds of the ordinary Malays who are not convinced and not easily taken in by the rhetoric of Anwar Ibrahim and those who worked with him and who were once UMNO leaders.
Mr Bean - June 14, 2009 at 7:07 pm
Zaid crossing over to PR today poses as much risk to drug dealers who were not in the room as a stun grenade would.
Mr Bean - June 14, 2009 at 7:16 pm
It has happened. Now, PKR is not just Anwar Ibrahim. Now, the grass root work must begin with the rural Malays who have over the years been brain washed against anything non muslim and the idea that Malaysians whom are not Malays are second class citizens. That will be the hard part. Would a rural Malay give up NEP? I dont think so, as in the end, Malaysians have always backed their ethnic interests over nationalism. Just look at the Chin Peng issue. Chin Peng’s communism ideologies was an alternate path to a national goal of independence against the British. It really had nothing to do with race, even though most communists at that time happened to be those of chinese background. Now, if Chin Peng had succeeded, who is to say that Malaysia today could not have been as progressive as China? Could we have been more integrated as a country irrespective of race? We could have. Only God knows.
james chua - June 14, 2009 at 9:42 pm
Let us see how committed in Zaid Ibrahim towards PKR . Apart from his liberal mind, we would like to see how committed is Zaid Ibarahim didalam mengobankan wang beliau didalam perjuang PKR.
ariffdanial - June 15, 2009 at 1:41 pm
ARIFF, WHAT correlation is there between his ideals and how much he will dump his own money? That is UMNO monkey logic. Anyway unlike UMNO, HE WONT BE USING TAXPAYERS MONEY
james chua - June 15, 2009 at 5:58 pm
How naive can you be!!!
He was one of those UMNO monkeys that were kissing Mahathir’s hands and arse under the pretext of Persatuan Peguam Muslim Malaysia before Mahathir made his legal firm the biggest in the country.
These are facts he cannot deny. If you have happen to meet him, please ask him, how many lawyers he has before and after Mahathir pick him up.
ariffdanial - June 15, 2009 at 11:47 pm