Zaid hits out at attitude of UMNO leaders

The introduction of Datuk Zaid Ibrahim as a Law Minister was seen by many as reflecting seriousness on the part of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's wish to reform the legal system. He was especially chosen for this purpose and his appointment was greeted with much enthusiasm by the legal fraternity. But sometimes things have a habit of not following the script. After only a matter of months, Datuk Zaid Ibrahim resigned from his post after criticising the way the ISA was being used. The last few days saw him embroiled in further controversy after he met Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng . This proved the last straw and he was unceremoniously sacked from UMNO. However the revelations which he has chosen to make certainly raises eyebrows and gives a rare insight into the mindset of the powerbrokers in charge of this country. He spoke of many violations by some of its members but no action taken because they are powerful. There has always been suspicion about this but this is one of the few time that such a high profile figure has given credence to such suspicions. The mind boggles to think of the possibilities.

His response to attending the dinner by DAP and Pakatan was simple. “I did not attend the DAP dinner or Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s (PKR) dinner to provoke anyone. I was there to listen, on the invitation of friends. They are not our enemies but people who just have different opinions,” he said.

Commenting on the statement by Umno vice president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin that he was a ‘small guy’ in the party, Zaid said: “Yes, I am a small guy in the party without any influence, but even small men have the right to response or to defend themselves.” To Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, it would do well to recall the Malay proverb " sepandai -pandai tupai melompat, akhirnya jatuh juga". ( no matter how clever one may be, it will only be a matter of time bfore one fails).

If Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin regards Zaid as a ‘small guy’ , then what would he regard the majority of the ordinary rakyat? One shudders at the thought. Especially when you consider that this person could possibly be a Prime Minister in the future. Power does corrupt absolutely.

Zaid added that Umno has also lost sight of its original role as provider and caretaker of all the communities. He said it was difficult to establish strong race relations if a party keeps referring to other citzens as “pendatang” (immigrants) and suggest things like closing down vernacular schools. “You cannot just force people to do something, there needs to be a lot of understanding of the situation and in difficult time like the present, it helps to sit down and discuss things with each other,” Zaid said.

The author agrees wholeheartedly with the view of Datuk Zaid. We live in a sickening political climate. Even though the elections are over and done with , there are no attempts to reach out to build bridges. We should take a leaf from the recent American presidential elections. After the results are out , the loser concedes defeat and wholeheartedly throws his support to the winner. The whole nation in turn is urged by all the parties to unite behind the chosen President. Why can't we have the same in Malaysia? Apparently the word" working across the aisle " is a dirty word in Malaysian politics. And forget bipartisanship.

This criticism is directed at all. The people have chosen the Barisan. We should just let the Barisan government do its work. The Barisan government on the other hand should strive to reach out t0 the opposition parties and be transparent in good governance. As for reaching out, this can be done through dialogue as was being done by Zaid. In this atmosphere of uncertainty , there is more of a need to stand united. We should learn to accept differing opinions. And the politicians should stop playing with the race card. This is a habit which needs stopping as the damage done to national unity is simply non quantifiable. Politicians should stop playing to the gallery by championing racial issues.

At least in the case of Datuk Zaid Ibrahim we have someone who has the vision to look at issues through the national perspective . The nation needs more Datuk Zaid Ibrahims.