Zaid Ibrahim retracts ‘billionaire’ statement against Daim, will ‘cease writing altogether’
READ ON: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2018/11/10/last-testament-by-zaid-ibrahim/
Former de facto law minister Zaid Ibrahim has retracted his remarks claiming that former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin and his “billionaire friends” are in control of the country.
Zaid said today that he will also cease to make public statements henceforth and stop participating in politics.
“I regret my unfair and unjustified remarks and apologise to both (prime minister) Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Daim for the anguish my writing has caused them both.
“In all my years of writing, I have taken great pains to ensure the accuracy of the information I received, but this one is obviously faulty and has crossed the line of responsible writing. I much regret it.
“To my readers: I have decided it’s best for my self-esteem and my family’s welfare that I cease writing altogether… It’s difficult to write with honesty and some courage without upsetting or hurting some feelings somewhere.
“Not only I will stop writing altogether (sic), I will no longer be a member of any political party. I have wasted enough years in politics, thinking I could make some difference to the country, but it’s not to be,” Zaid said in a statement published by Free Malaysia Today.
Picking ‘unnecessary fights’
Zaid’s move to retract his statement and retreat from the public sphere comes after a series of incidents that began on Wednesday, when he first mentioned in a blog post that Harapan’s manifesto promises of a welfare state were now being overruled by “billionaires and towkays”.
In response, Mahathir had asked Zaid to furnish proof of his claim, quipping that the former minister should show evidence about “how many billions I have”.
Zaid had subsequently clarified that he was referring to Daim and his friends, not Mahathir.He claimed he was severely criticised for his remarks.
“First, (Finance Minister) Lim Guan Eng called and said my statement was uncalled-for as it was not true and not based on facts. He suggested that I make a retraction.
“Then my closest friends asked why I was picking unnecessary fights with so many people.
“Even my family members seemed unhappy. They told me we would no longer have food on the table if I continued giving opinions about powerful people in the country,” Zaid said.
He added that he would now focus on finding ways to “pay the debts I have accumulated in the many years in the wilderness”.
The former minister has had a colourful political history since being sacked from UMNOno in 2008. His last foray into politics involved joining DAP last year.However, he was not fielded as a candidate in the 14th general election.
Din Merican: the Malaysian DJ Blogger 
A frog in its wilderness has come to rest at last. Good riddance!
Zaid Ibrahim’s is a good man, and he writes well. A writer cannot stop writing just because he wants to: he will be back.😃
He was not suitable for real politics. Politics is not about sheer principles like law and justice. Its firstly about practical governance with a set of basic principles. He was never that practical although he showed signs of brilliance at times. His priorities were all over the place and careless in how he dealt with volatile issues.
Mahathir view of economy and business is Reaganesc and Thacherite but the young PH leaders are in tune with Piketty, Atkinson, Krugman. So it’s definitely a careless attack by Zaid.
In the end, he is more suitable as a revolutionaire rather than progressive change or building logically.
“Sawi” is no longer 10 Sen a Kati. Today you may have to pay 30 to 40 times that. So we must learn to eat less of it.
Zaid has always been a a square peg trying to fit into a round hole or vice versa. He should have stuck to Commercial Law and Conveyancing where he made more than a tremendous pile under the auspices of Octo ver 1.0. Now is Octo ver 2.0, or he hasn’t noticed..? Same difference.
Perhaps not fitting anywhere which requires some sort of accommodation, courtesy and urbanity, and insisting on speaking his version of ‘Truth’ the only way out is to shaddup and swallow the bitter pill of ignominy.
There is a big difference between his cojones and that of Kak Pidah’s, don’t you think? The latter picks her fights while the former remains incontinent and shoots all over the place.
However, i do empathize with Zaid and wish him well – and with a song:
As a lawyer, he should know better when he make remark against someone. He should give good opinion to help the new gov.
i hope mr. zaid will continue to write, i am frequent readers of his blog.
two months back, i met him with his wife at grand city restaurant in pj, and ask him to continue to write.
dear mr. zaid, i used to use this saying to motivate me hope it helps you ” falling down is not a disgrace BUT staying down is”
Zaid Ibrahim, a former member of PKR, who was in a hurry to climb up the ladder to contest against the deputy chairman of PKR for the party election. With his short period as a member of PKR, he competed against Azmin who had already made the ground support when the party was formed. Said was a man in a hurry at that time to climb up the political ladder at that time as a former law minister in UMNO. He resigned later to form a new political party without much success and he eventually left the party. He was right in letting out many racial problems in public but the BN ignored his comments without further actions or inactions. Zaid made his last attempt to join DAP close to the 14th. election hopefully to contest for a parliamentary seat. Said has become a disappointed politician who could not contribute much. Don’t give up when your honesty/ integrity is still up in your sleeve.
Pukul Anak + Sindir Menantu = Wartawan
his last piece has merits…..lots of merits and plenty of truth
Well, Zaid I emphatise with you. In politics, as in anything else that we do, there’s always an end. If we fail to see it coming we have ourselves to blame not anyone else. I said this my wife when she asked why Zaid is quiting.
I am a critic too but of late ‘am beginning to feel the crunch. Perhaps it’s time to take a back seat and call it a day. Let others do the honors.
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Sad to hear that,bro. din
I like his writing. As such, I hope he continues to do so.
May 9th 2018 should be observed and celebrated for generations to come. We now have a second chance to do the right thing. Thanks to YAB Tun.
Migration May be an option for the top 2%of the citizens of our country. The rest of us have to remain come what may and build the right thing for all of us.