After many months of noncommittal from the former Minister in the PM Department Zaid Ibrahim by toying around with the idea of joining the PR, he is now officially with the PR by joining PKR.
As much as I can remember this guy, he has been doing the right thing at the wrong place until he was sacked from the his previous party Umno after resigning from the Cabinet where he served as the de-facto Law Minister being entrusted by the then PM Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to reform the corrupted and tarnished judiciary system in Malaysia.
It’s not a hidden secret that former PM Mahathir Mohamad was so despise of him due to his role in coming out with the idea of ex-gratia payment to all sacked judges during the judiciary crisis in 1998. Even up till today, Mahathir is still not letting up by continuing to harp on this issue as and when the judiciary crisis was discussed.
Being his trueself and an infamous non-conformist too (probably little villain), he created enough of enemies and disgruntlement among his former cabinet colleagues, to the extent that some of them accusing him of going against the Islam (i.e. being so "not melayu") by not showing dissentment against the Ketuanan Melayu concept disseminated since ages ago, or since Mahathir’s administration, to be exact.
I believe be bore the brunt of the repression and malicious intention from the great Umno loyalists among the cabinet members that he decided to quit his ministerial post in protest of the arrests of three prominent individuals – DAP parliamentarian Teresa Kok, Malaysia Today’s Raja Petra Kamarudin, and Sin Chew Daily journalist Tan Hoon Cheng - under the Internal Security Act.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Recently, I read his Saya Bukan Melayu which I would say is a highly recommended "must read title" as the book helps you to understand his political vision – a color-blind society with sustainable equality concept based on real action, not mere cheap talks.
My hope on Zaid, as he is in part of the PR coalition now, is that he will play an effective check-and-balance role in PKR, as well as being the conscience of the PR coalition.
As a voter for the PR government in the last election, it’s with great expectation that Zaid is now ready to walk the talk, by putting his words into action in truly embracing the multi-ethnic multi-religious doctrine and subsequently, a galvanized effort among the coalition members not only to help achieve a tremendous breakthrough in term of an establishement of a much desire racial united nation, but also to serve as a guiding character leading the PR coalition away from the form of leadership style centered around an influential individual, in which to related to PR’s case, it should be more than the Anwar’s factor.
"I am ready to help Pakatan become an alternative and viable government that the people can rely on," Zaid said during the press conference, as reported by Malaysiakini.
Well said!
With this, this blogger would like to extend his heartiest congratulations to Zaid and may his dream of a one nation (not sure about 1Malaysia, sorry!) will come true.
All the best, Zaid!
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