Gobind ‘overreacting’ to benign statement from Zaid

I have to cease giving my personal views, rues Zaid

Gerard Lourdesamy: So what if Dr Mahathir Mohamad is the de facto opposition leader while Anwar Ibrahim is still in jail?

If PM Najib Abdul Razak is so certain of a big BN victory, just call GE14 now and we shall see if the opposition will lose their deposits as some have claimed.

DAP’s Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo is just overreacting to a benign statement from former minister Zaid Ibrahim.

The assumption being made by a lot of misguided people is that Mahathir is universally loathed and hated by the majority of Malays and non-Malays alike.

But that was not the case in 1990 and 1999 when he still cruised to victory with a two-thirds majority in Parliament on both occasions. Unlike Mahathir or Anwar, Najib is nothing.

Myop101: In a country where elders are respected, it is only natural for Zaid to give deference to Mahathir (something which increasingly lacking in this country).

I personally think the opposition is leaderless. That will be the opposition’s undoing, whether or not Mahathir is recognised as de facto opposition leader or not.

I would like to see a shadow PM and cabinet in place but then again, there is always this argument about what is and what is not appropriate by the opposition, resulting in this issue being pushed aside.

Don’t they understand that the lack of a shadow PM and cabinet means they are presenting themselves as incoherent when one party utters something while the other something else?

How much better do they think they are doing compared to BN, who at least have a cabinet?

Just a Malaysian: Yes, the opposition badly needs a leader to coordinate macro policies. I find Dr M’s speech at Bersatu’s opening presents a clear manifesto of what to expect in a Pakatan Harapan government.

I am no fan of Dr M but he seems to be the only one with the stature to hold all of them together in the absence of Anwar Ibrahim.

Retnam: If the people of a country need a leader to lead them, they are stupid people. In our context, the current government is allegedly corrupted to its core and is a kleptocracy.

This government must be overthrown in the next GE. The way to do it is of course for all the people to vote for opposition in every constituency.

If the people want to cry that the opposition is not united, then these people are idiots. United or not, just vote for the opposition to get rid of the alleged thief.

I’m not a peacock seeking to flaunt my feathers, says Zaid

Existential Turd: Dear Zaid, I have renewed respect for you, not because you joined DAP, but because of the things you did in the past and your honesty in admitting mistakes.

A party and country that celebrates diversity and populated by people with integrity is more vibrant and stronger. I sincerely hope you will bring much-needed wisdom and diverse viewpoint to DAP.

And I hope DAP has the courage and humility to accept praise and criticism from its own supporters as well as detractors.

It is easy to criticise BN and Umno, but it is much more useful and important to criticise your own party and coalition.

You criticise someone because you think they can improve. You stop criticising because they have gone beyond the point of no return.

Boonpou: This must have been the most sincere and promising piece of narration I have read thus far from a fellow Malaysian for a very long time. He could have had it all but recused himself because he has a moral righteousness unlike any others from Umno.

He also admits his hasty shortfall in forming Kita. He convinces me he is no peacock, which is rare within the Malays’ ‘ketuanan’ inferiority mentality.

This man, to me, is real. A real plus to be included within the opposition towards the status quo, towards, if it ever is achievable, a better Malaysia.

Annonymous: If you just practise 50 percent or achieve 50 percent what you preach, and declare yourself as ‘Malaysian first’ and defend the constitution at all costs, you will be a respected and great leader for all Malaysians.

If you are just a kampong boy, or a ‘Muslim first’, or guided by ‘hudud first’, like all kampong ‘ministers’ in PAS and Umno in power, you are just another supremacist bigot and Malaysia is doomed forever.

Yes, only incorruptible and visionary Malay leaders with good leadership and integrity and a progressive Malay rakyat can save this ‘bankrupt and failed’ state, now on the brink of destruction under allegedly corrupt leaders working against the interests of the people, destroying the unity of the people and destroying every institution of the country with impunity.

Worldly Wise: Zaid is following Onn Jaafar’s dream that there should be no race-based political parties.

Xed: Forming Kita was not his only mistake. Joining Umno was also a mistake.

Umno has fed on the ambitions of business-minded people, including lawyers. The law is not for business people.

Lawyers, as members of an honourable and learned profession, should be principled and willing to speak out against injustice without fear or favour.

Zaid is only a businessman in the cloak of a lawyer who wanted the good life while being in Umno and left it when it became clear that he was not going to get anything much anymore.

There are enough ‘greedy’ people in Umno, anxious to elbow out those who try to squeeze into the crowd trying to feed at the trough. Not all of them succeed in even getting to sniff the contents of the trough.

Prince Dodol: You can’t be a peacock for sure. Too much flight with the bird that you are, sir.

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