Zaid to join DAP? Good luck and don’t be a man in a hurry

Ex-law minister Zaid set to join DAP, sources say

Kingfisher: Zaid Ibrahim is seen, since his dissent as a minister in 2008 to the use of the Internal Security Act (ISA) on Teresa Kok, Sin Chew Daily reporter Tan Hoon Cheng and blogger Raja Petra Raja Kamarudin, as a person who is willing to take a stand whenever he perceives any injustice.

He is also regarded as one who does not sacrifice ethical values in order to retain a career in politics as what appears to be the situation in a number of our prominent political parties where there are leaders who have sustained their ‘career’ stretching across a couple of generations.

Admittedly, Malaysian politics has its complexities, not to ignore the compounding challenges inherent in our communal and religious politics.

The people’s perception of PAS, DAP and Umno (right or wrong) has been consequential to national level outcomes at elections. PKR’s multiracial initiatives may continue to be stifled by racial and religious bias.

A citizenry democracy without race and religion may be remote here. My best wishes to Zaid.

Anonymous_4171: It will be a great feather in DAP’s cap to have former minister Zaid in the party. This will help dilute its image of being a predominantly Chinese party.

Zaid, you definitely have my vote. I have read your articles and your book, and they show a person of great integrity.

Patriot1: I think this is an excellent move. Zaid has proven to be very consistent and logical in his various commentaries and had proven to stick to his beliefs even at the expense of a ministership.

DAP needs to build up its pool of capable Malays to call itself a truly multiracial party. This is not easy but they are trying. I hope to see Zaid play a meaning role in the coming GE.

Hardboiled: Zaid has principles. He has the intellect to become a good policymaker. Having met him twice now, I believe he is a good Malaysian.

It makes sense to join a party with the machinery to do so. More so, he has many close friends there. What better way to fight a war with brothers-in-arms?

To summarise, the anti-BN forces need all the strength they can get and this candidate is a worthy addition.

888: To avoid intra-party rivalry/troubles, it’s better for Zaid to be just ordinary member. If you pose no threat to others’ political ambition, you are okay. Over time, your true worth to the party will be appreciated.

Legit: By all means, please do join DAP but do not go there and cause the same disharmony you did in PKR.

Malaysia needs people like you to put things straight, but please don’t try to go one up on everybody in the party. Take your time and wait for your turn to climb up the party ladder and please do not disrupt things as had happened in PKR.

You have to listen to the seniors and the seasoned party stalwarts before you become one. This will be my advice to you.

Drngsc: Well, well, well. Will the real Zaid please stand up? What are you really fighting for, Zaid?

Jonah 2: DAP meetings are like a medical university in Bukit Jalil, English sounding but all spoken language in Chinese. How the heck will more Malays want to join this party?

Anyway, good luck to Zaid. Perhaps he will benefit the DAP like the great Ahmad Nor.

Allforit: Jonah 2, you must have stepped into an MCA meeting. Didn’t you hear what former PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad said after he attended a DAP meeting? They sang and spoke in BM.

Zaid resigned from Umno due to his principles. I have always respected him for that. It is normal for Malays to join PKR when they leave Umno. It is another Malay party to me.

There are also many in PKR whom I don’t trust. So, this is an exception and I won’t accuse Zaid of being a frog.

He didn’t resign for ‘dedak’ (animal feed). Otherwise he would have just remained with Umno where he was holding a high position.

Anyway, if the rumour is true, then he is most welcome. I would definitely vote for an intelligent, brave and principled person like him.

Wandering Star: Those who oppose Zaid for leaving PKR must be pretty blind and shallow. I trust Zaid more than the PKR of late.

This so-called ‘Reformasi political party’ is now only a shadow of its original self. Zaid left for a good reason, being an honest and fair-minded person.

I cannot say the same for one of PKR’s leaders who seems to harbour a strong ambition to be PM of Malaysia, sacrificing the party’s ideology by dancing with the PAS ‘political opportunists’.

MacMac: He may have politically-correct principles but he is ambitious and may cause cracks in DAP just like when he was in PKR.

Sleepy: MacMac, I believe that “causing cracks” before GE14 is a good thing. One way to “grow” quickly is by exposing these cracks.

Hilary: This man has been irrelevant for so long that he wants to come back to politics, and the only party that will take him is DAP which needs an ‘Uncle Tom’ Malay face to show to the public.

The rumour is he will run in Gelang Patah at the next election, and he knows he will get a good chance there.

Allforit: Hilary, there are Many other capable Malays in DAP. If Zaid stands in Gelang Patah, why not? He studied in Johor Baru. So did I.

We belong to the same generation where friendship cut across the divide. In fact, majority of my Johorean friends are Malays or Indians. Can you boast of the same claim?

Worldly Wise: Zaid has made a sound decision. Umno vice-president Hishammuddin Hussein should also join DAP. Hishammuddin’s grandfather envisioned a political party in which all communities will belong.

Our other leaders lacked Onn Jaafar’s foresight and vision. The result is that Singapore, which was formerly part of us, is now a first world country while Malaysia is still a third world country.

For 60 years, each community has been thinking of their own welfare instead of the welfare of the country.

FellowMalaysian: I hail Zaid’s latest move in joining hands with DAP.

Zaid’s thoughts and philosophies are centred along egalitarianism and meritocracy and his beliefs, principles and values dictate that he stays away from realpolitik or demagogy or populism which BN plays to the hilt.

Zaid has finally discovered his true calling and the right party to contribute his resources and energy.

Anon1: Ladbrokes (a British-based betting and gambling company) should offer odds on how long he’ll stay there.

Sinan Belawan: The season of ‘jumping frogs’ has begun. Not a strategic jump. Zaid may drown in a Malaysian tsunami.

The Analyser: Sinan Belawan, the only problem is that now all the ponds have dried up. The jumping frogs are jumping from one failed enterprise to the next, taking their failures with them.

Wira: The Analyser, if a ‘policyless’ party can run a state so well, it means any party today can do better than the utterly useless incumbents in Putrajaya.

Voters should be wise to choose the party with the best results despite the handicap.

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