'Malay by heritage' Zaid slams Dr M

'Malay by heritage' Zaid slams Dr M

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 17:53

By FMT Staff

KUALA LUMPUR: PKR supreme council member Zaid Ibrahim has diagnosed Dr Mahathir Mohamad with a psychological disorder, which has rendered his mind "convoluted and confused".

And a tell-tale symptom of this condition, according to him, is the former premier's "obnoxious and extraordinarily stupid" statement.

Commenting on Mahathir's latest blog posting on meritocracy, Zaid also took a swipe at the latter's Indian roots, by describing himself as "not just a Malay by constitutional definition, but by heritage (as well)."

In his posting, the former premier had labelled those who pushed for meritocracy as being just as racist as those who defended Malay rights.

Mahathir added that some Malays, “perhaps due to mistaken pride”, supported meritocracy and undermined the Malay position further.

However, Zaid disagreed.

“Many Malays want meritocracy for very good reasons. They want their applications for contracts and projects to be given fair consideration by the authorities. They do not want only those who are politically connected to have the upper hand. They want a level playing field.

“They believe that they can succeed on merit if only they get a fair chance. They want to succeed with their pride intact; and at the same time they want to tell their children that Malays who work hard and with the right attitude can succeed., like everybody else,” he said.

Zaid said many Malays wanted meritocracy so that they could get their dues like promotion and higher positions by working hard.

“They want to be judged fairly and not lose their position or seniority because some one else has the right political cable. They want a promotion system that is transparent and free of interference.

“They want to say that they have succeeded because they did it the hard way. Why does Mahathir have to belittle these Malays? Why must the Malays be scrapped off their self-respect just to prove that Umno is responsible for everything in this country?” he added.

'This is not misplaced pride'

Zaid, a former Umno leader himself, said he failed to understand why Malays who supported meritocracy were described as having misplaced pride.

On the contrary, the former law minister said, it was these Malays who carried the flagship of a proud people.

“We know our strengths and we have no shame of our limitations. But we will always strive to better ourselves. If by open competition and transparent policies the net effect is that some Malays still need extra help and support, then of course a responsible government will have to step in; to provide the incentives and the safety net to bridge the gap.

“But let us start with the notion that we must earn our success like everyone else. And the let the best amongst us prosper. We do not need to be instant millionaires. We can take our time so long as we work hard. All we want is the best education for the Malays,” he added.

Zaid said that his comments were aimed at reminding Mahathir of how wrong he was, and not because he had misplaced pride.

“Misplaced pride for a Malay is when he gets to be a minister because his father fixes it; or he has a few hundred millions in his coffers because he has the right Chinese partner to enrich him,” he added.

Press Statement of Datuk Zaid Ibrahim

Press Statement of Datuk Zaid Ibrahim

LETTERS/SURAT

Wednesday, 28 April 2010

1. Every citizen has a fundamental right to vote. But this right is meaningless if he is not able to exercise it because his name is removed from the electoral roll without his knowledge; or if he is intimidated, or bribed or given all kinds of inducements to influence his choice.

By Zaid Ibrahim

In the recent Hulu Selangor by-election, we witnessed all of the above. We have witnesses who will come forward with the necessary evidence of blatant bribery starting from the Barisan Nasional (BN) party worker right up to the Prime Minister (PM) himself. The conduct of the Prime Minister is shameless and without precedent. More importantly it is illegal. In these circumstances, we will file an election petition as soon as my legal team is ready to do so. Any voter from Hulu Selangor who wants to volunteer relevant information to any of the PKR, DAP or PAS offices.

2. The conduct of free and fair elections is the constitutional duty of the Election Commission. I maintain that they have violated that duty in the recent by-election. They have allowed intimidation, false information, and unfair and illegal electoral practices by the BN machinery without any attempt to stop them. In fact, it was obvious to me that the Election Commission was on the side of BN and wanting BN to win. I will therefore institute appropriate legal action against the Election Commission, in hope that future elections will be conducted fairly to reflect the will of the people.

I will also sue Utusan Malaysia for calling me kaki botol. I was never an alcoholic. Whatever I consumed was no more than whatever Mahathir and other UMNO leaders had consumed. The Election Commission should not have allowed for such a malicious and false campaign.

3. Pakatan Rakyat will mobilize a fresh campaign to make free and fair elections a reality in this country. We will never be able to reflect the will of the people and form the next Federal government if BN can conduct the elections as they see fit, as they are doing now. Our Election Commission must conduct elections that conform to international standards. Our country must allow for international observers to attend the Sibu by-election and all other elections in the future. I ask the PM if he is as popular as he claims, then why is he so afraid of a free and fair fight with the Opposition?

4. A Pakatan International Support group will be launched in London in July. This is to garner international support for free and fair elections in Malaysia. Malaysians residing overseas are eligible to be members of this group. They will make representations and provide information to other countries and international organizations on how elections are conducted here and what the ruling party in Malaysia has done to stay in power. By exerting international pressure so we hope this BN government will one day allow for free and fair elections.

Zaid Ibrahim
Hulu Selangor By-Election Candidate
Central Leadership Council Member
Parti Keadilan Rakyat

Dr M unwanted, says Zaid

Dr M unwanted, says Zaid
Friday, 10 April 2009 15:43

By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had no effect on the April 7 by-elections and this shows that people do not want him anymore, says Datuk Zaid Ibrahim.

The former law minister, who has had a running feud with the former prime minister since his move last year to compensate judges sacked by Dr Mahathir in the 1987 judicial crisis, said this in an interview on the “Fairly Current Show”, a short programme that aired on the Internet yesterday.

Zaid, who is widely expected to join Pakatan Rakyat — most likely PKR — soon, also added that his former party, Umno, was too weak to stand up to Dr Mahathir and members were afraid of being ousted like Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who stepped down as prime minister last week after years of criticism by his predecessor Dr Mahathir.

"There were thousands of people in Sungai Petani they say, but clearly there was no effect," he said of Dr Mahathir's stop in Bukit Selambau in a two-stop blitz that included Bukit Gantang on the last day of campaigning in the by-elections.

PR, in fact, increased its majority in the two seats which, Zaid said, was an indicator of Dr Mahathir's unpopularity.

"He feels that people still want him. This is the problem with strongmen who some call dictators. Sometimes, they don't know they are surrounded by people who tell them their leadership is still needed," he said.

He added that it was the same throughout history, citing Suharto, the former president of Indonesia, and Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe, who also "do not know when they are unwanted".

However, in a recent blog posting, Dr Mahathir continued to insist that Abdullah was still "entirely responsible for all the ills" in Barisan Nasional which led to the electoral defeats as "a leader plays a big role especially in Malaysia and the quality of his leadership affects the behaviour and performance of his subordinates."

Zaid also mocked the idea that Umno wanted its longest-serving president back.

"It is not that Umno wants to take him back but he wants to rejoin. But nobody is brave enough to stop him. This shows Umno is very weak and its leaders are not brave enough to stand up to him because they are afraid of ending up like Pak Lah," he said of Abdullah, who was handpicked by Dr Mahathir but then suffered years of harsh criticism from him.

Zaid cited, as an example, the fact that Khairy Jamaluddin, Abdullah's son-in-law, won comfortably ahead of Dr Mahathir's son Datuk Mukhriz in the Umno Youth chief contest because "he interfered. If not it would be a tougher fight".

Zaid and Dr Mahathir most recently clashed in a war of words over the appointment of Datuk Seri Najib Razak as prime minister, with Dr Mahathir calling Zaid's plea to the King not to appoint Najib "very stupid".

Our God-given right of freedom of speech

Our God-given right of freedom of speech
24 Mar, 2009

But those who walked in the corridors of power resented Jesus and would allow him freedom of speech. So they plotted to kill Jesus so that they could silence him. Freedom of speech was regarded as dangerous because the rakyat might start believing all those ‘lies’ from Jesus.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

According to Selangor State EXCO member, Dr Xavier Jayakumar, 40 people were arrested in a ceramah in Taman Ria in Sungai Petani, Kedah. Dr Xavier said that the police, who fired water cannons and teargas into the crowd that included women and children, did not issue the mandatory warning beforehand.

Children coming out of a nearby tuition centre were also doused by the spray from the water cannon, as were the patrons in a nearby Chinese restaurant. Even the traders selling memorabilia and souvenirs were not spared the heavy-handedness of police who screamed like wailing banshees to expect ‘more aggressive action’ as they chased the people away.

Meanwhile, two opposition newspapers, Suara Keadilan and Harakah, have been suspended for three months – meaning, basically, that they can’t report about any problems in the ongoing Umno general assembly or play a role in the three by-elections early next month.

Former de facto Law Minister, Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, has hit out at the suspension of these two opposition party publications and said that Malaysians should denounce attempts to silence opposing voices, reported The Malaysian Insider.

Zaid said that he was not surprised by the suspension of the opposition party owned newspapers and added that the only way to prevent more such attempts was if more people would stand up and criticise the move.

"We're all vulnerable," he said. "Those who think they are safe are mistaken. No matter how much you try to play safe, you are never safe. If more and more people stand up, then the people in power will probably think twice."

The government did not give an explanation for suspending the two opposition newspapers yesterday. However, it is widely perceived as a move to stifle the reach of opposition parties and bolster the chances of the ruling party in three critical by-elections next month.

In another move that is seen as an attempt to tighten its grip on the media landscape, Umno, the party that forms the backbone of the Barisan Nasional government, also barred six Internet-based media from covering its annual general assembly this week.

Further to that, Gobind Singh Deo has been suspended from Parliament for one year, with his salary and all privileges suspended as well during that same period. His father, Karpal Singh, faces sedition charges, to add to the many cases of sedition, criminal defamation, illegal assembly, and whatnot, that hundreds of others who are perceived as threats to Umno also face.

All this reminds me of Nazi Germany during the time of Adolf Hitler when the ‘black shirts’ were practically running the country at the point of the gun. That was more than 70 years ago. But nothing has changed much over 70 years as far as Malaysia is concerned. Time has almost stood still in Malaysia.

Malaysia too has its ‘black shirts’ a la Nazi Germany and these people are from Pekida. Pekida, a sort of militia, was formed soon after ‘May 13’ and is supposed to be the spearhead of the next race riots, if Malaysia ever does see another one. From the looks of things, though, Umno is bent on ensuring that there is.

In case you do not know, Pekida is promoting a ‘Say YES to ISA’ campaign. They want the Internal Security Act to be retained so that ‘Malay rights and privileges’ can be protected. And how would the ISA help protect ‘Malay rights and privileges’? Easy. All those who question ‘Malay rights and privileges’ can be detained without trial and sent to Kamunting where they can be silenced and will not be able to speak any longer.

In short, the ISA can stifle free speech and silence dissent. That, basically, is what the Umno-Pekida militia are saying. And that is Umno’s game plan. Now can you see why all these happenings have been going on the last few weeks? They want Malaysians to shut up and not complain so much.

Hey, I did not say Malaysia does not allow freedom of speech. Of course we have freedom of speech in Malaysia. It is freedom after speech that we don’t have. And this is what my grouse is all about.

God has allowed freedom of speech. In fact, God not only allowed freedom of speech. God has made it mandatory. And all those who oppose freedom of speech are going against God’s wishes. So they are God’s enemies. And enemies of God are my enemies as well. And their blood, therefore, becomes Halal, to quote what many Muslim scholars say.

Hey, I am not saying this. Muslim scholars are saying this. And I was told by the ustaz in Kamunting during my ISA detention that I must listen to the religious scholars. This is what the ustaz in Kamunting told me and they sent me to Kamunting so that I can listen to the ustaz and become rehabilitated.

So this is the newly rehabilitated Raja Petra Kamarudin speaking. I speak the words of the religious scholars who rehabilitated me in Kamunting. Those who oppose God are enemies of God and their blood is Halal, said the ustaz who were responsible for my rehabilitation. And those who stifle freedom of speech are enemies of God. So their blood is Halal.

The People of the Book believe in the story of Moses (Musa) and how God commanded him to go meet the Pharaoh and deliver God’s message to him. The message was simple. Moses was asked to abandon his evil and misguided ways and to allow his citizens the freedom to practice their religion as outlined by God.

But the Pharaoh would not listen. He was stubborn, just like Umno, because he thought that he was God and that Moses’ God was bullshit, just how the Umno people today think. God then commanded Moses and his people to leave the country so that they could be free to speak and free to practice their beliefs.

But the Pharaoh would not allow them to leave and he tried to stop them. So God drowned him in the Red sea just like how Umno was drowned in the Indian Ocean during the Permatang Pauh by-election and in the South China Sea during the Kuala Terengganu by-election.

Hey, I am just relating history and about what the People of the Book believe. I did not create all these stories. These things happened long before I started writing and I am just relating what happened 3,500 years ago in Egypt when I was still a very small boy.

Then, 1,500 years later, another man came along, according to the belief of the People of the Book. And this man was named Jesus (Isa). And God commanded Jesus to sort out those who walked in the corridors of power at that time. These people were all corrupt, cruel, oppressed the rakyat, discriminated against those less fortunate than them who happened to have come into this world through the ‘right’ pussy and were therefore the Bumiputeras of that era, and whatnot.

But those who walked in the corridors of power resented Jesus and would allow him freedom of speech. So they plotted to kill Jesus so that they could silence him. Freedom of speech was regarded as dangerous because the rakyat might start believing all those ‘lies’ from Jesus. This would mean the government would be in trouble if the rakyat started believing Jesus instead of believing those who walk in the corridors of power.

But what these people did not know is that Jesus spoke the word of God and they also did not know that God wanted Jesus to speak so that the truth can emerge and the corrupted government of the day could be exposed for what it is, a bullshit government, just like the Umno government of today. And God proved that those who stood on the side of truth would prevail while the bullshit government will eventually crumble to dust and will be blown by the wind to disappear into the desert, like what will happen to Umno in the not too distant future.

Then, about 600 years later, another man came along who faced the same problems as faced by Moses and Jesus. And this man, whom Time magazine labelled as the most influential man in history, was named Muhammad. And that is why many Malays like to name their sons Muhammad, because he was the most influential man in history.

Some even have two Muhammads in their name because their parents thought the more Muhammads they have in their name the more influential they will grow up to become. Sometimes, however, the more Muhammads they have in their name, the more corrupt they become. In fact, many Malays with two Muhammads in their name have become more like the Pharaoh than like the Prophet. Furthermore, people with names like Isa (Jesus) or Musa (Moses) are the biggest crooks in Malaysia.

Eventually, they plotted to kill Muhammad, like how they did to Jesus and Moses before that. This was because Muhammad, like Jesus and Moses before that, believed in freedom of speech and that an oppressive and corrupt government should be toppled. So the oppressive and corrupt government tried to silence them just to protect their interest.

This happened 3,500, 2,000 and 1,400 years ago. Thousands of years ago, the corrupt governments of that time also tried to stifle freedom of speech in an effort to ensure that the truth does not surface. And the People of the Book believe that all these people are enemies of God and that their blood is Halal. These are enemies of the truth, who are therefore also enemies of God, and they should not be allowed to live. They must die. And it is the rakyat’s duty to kill them, like how God did thousands of years ago to those who stifled freedom of speech and would not allow the truth to surface.

Is Zaid saying that Najib is involved in the Altantuya affair?

Is Zaid saying that Najib is involved in the Altantuya affair?

This is an abstract of the speech of former law minister Zaid Ibrahim’s presentation at KL’s Royal Rotary Club. He is almost telling us that we can’t ignore Najib Tun Razak’s “involvement” in the Altantuya Shariibuu case. Najib has to address these issues whether he likes it not. It is not true that he is ‘legally’ cleared of this accusation as his mentor Mahathir Mohamad would like us to believe. Bullshit. If he wants to be legally cleared, go to court. But that will never happen.

Consider this. Commissions were paid to an agent for the procurement of submarines through the Defence Ministry, Najib (then) being the defence minister. It is unthinkable that he had no knowledge that the agent was his adviser and aide, Abdul Razak Baginda. The commission paid out was exceedingly large, in excess of RM400 million.

The defence minister was dutybound to direct enquiries to see if there had been any impropriety in the way the contracts were awarded when news of the commission surfaced; after all the price of the submarines would be considerably lower without the need for such commissions.

Taxpayers, you and I, have paid for those submarines at a price that in all probability factored in the commission. Taxpayers are yet to be told of an inquiry let alone the result of such an inquiry.

Consider the Altantuya Shaariibuu affair. A young woman was brutally murdered, her corpse destroyed by explosives.

These explosives are not the usual type of explosives, yet no inquiry was held to determine how they were available to these killers. Those accused of her murder are police officers serving in the Unit Tindakan Khas, a highly specialised unit who amongst other things serve as bodyguards to the prime minister and the deputy prime minister.

Amidst evidence that the accused were employed to protect the PM and the DPM, they were directed to (Abdul) Razak Baginda through the aide of the deputy prime minister. Amongst other things, we have heard of the senior investigating officer admitting that the deputy prime minister was an important witness and yet no statement was taken.

It is not unreasonable to think that this is irregular, more so when evidence of SMS text-messages from the deputy prime minister concerning material matters have surfaced. The text-messages cannot be ignored, proverbially swept under the carpet.

Even if they do not establish - or are not capable of establishing - any culpability on the part of Najib, these issues must be addressed.

The air must be cleared, it is thick with accusations and doubts which can only undermine the office of the prime minister if he were to assume it. The deputy prime minister’s cause has not been aided by the fact that charges were preferred against (Abdul) Razak Baginda only after public outcry, the manner in which the prosecution was conducted and the decision of the High Court acquitting (Abdul) Razak Baginda not having been appealed.

Read here

Parliament should reject Najib

Parliament should reject Najib
Friday, 20 March 2009 12:38

Now, there is a case to be made that Najib does not deserve to be PM, and I agree with it. His approval ratings are abysmal by the standards of Malaysian politics, and he is mired in scandal and controversy.

John Lee, The Malaysian Insider

Former Law Minister Datuk Seri Zaid Ibrahim thinks the King should reject Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak as our next Prime Minister, and appoint another Member of Parliament from Umno to succeed Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

I agree with Zaid that Najib should not be the next Prime Minister, but I strongly reject the idea that this decision is one that the King should make.

The King’s constitutional obligation is to appoint a Prime Minister who will command the confidence of Parliament, and if he appoints anybody other than Najib to the PM’s post, all we will have is another Perak constitutional crisis writ large. The true decision ought to rest with Members of Parliament—MPs must unite to reject Najib as our next Prime Minister, and endorse an alternative candidate, such as Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.

Why did the Perak crisis arise in the first place?

It arose because the ruler refused to put the question of who is the rightful menteri besar to either the democratically-elected state assembly or the people of Perak themselves a year ago; instead, he chose to personally intervene and appoint a person of his own choice to the position of menteri besar.

It is not all that different from a similar crisis which arose in Terengganu at the same time; the ruler appointed a state assemblyman who was not the choice of Umno to lead the government.

In both cases, there was an uproar because the ruler overrode the wishes of the people and arguably overstepped his constitutional bounds.

Now, there is a case to be made that Najib does not deserve to be PM, and I agree with it. His approval ratings are abysmal by the standards of Malaysian politics, and he is mired in scandal and controversy.

In almost any other parliamentary democracy, it is unimaginable that Najib would still be Deputy PM, let alone on the verge of becoming the most powerful man in the country.

Zaid has laid out a powerful case for rejecting Najib as our PM, and I agree completely with it.

But that does not mean the King has the right to reject Najib. For one, the King would be on shaky constitutional ground here. Even assuming it would be legal to reject the clearly expressed wishes of the party in power — a virtually unprecedented move in parliamentary democracies — Parliament would in all likelihood pass a vote of no-confidence against whoever the King appoints.

The King appoints the PM, but Parliament always has the power to throw the appointed PM out.

The question that then arises is whether Parliament actually would reject the King’s choice. If there’s one thing we’ve learnt in the last year, it is that Malaysian politics is increasingly unpredictable, but I strongly suspect that Parliament would do so.

The King is not a supreme monarch, accountable to nobody. He is supposed to act in accordance with the Constitution, and to serve his subjects as best as he can in line with the responsibilities the Constitution grants him; to reject the wishes of the Malaysian people, who undeniably returned BN to power in the last general election, is to abandon these duties.

Parliament is supposed to represent the people of Malaysia, and so it is to Parliament that we must turn. We must convince our MPs that Najib is not the best choice amongst the men and women of Umno to lead Malaysia, and that another person such as Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah is best-placed to govern.

It is the King’s responsibility to appoint a Prime Minister who commands the confidence of Parliament—the confidence of the people.

At the moment, Najib does not hold the confidence of Malaysians, and rightly so—but the problem is that he clearly holds the confidence of a majority of MPs. And unless those MPs hear from their constituents, they will continue to assume that Najib really has the confidence of the Malaysian public.

The responsibility does not rest with the King to reject Parliament’s judgement of its own leaders; the responsibility rests with us to tell Parliament that we deserve better than Najib Tun Razak.

Malaysians love to complain to our representatives about all sorts of things, especially petty things like drains and potholes, but when it comes to important questions, like who should be our Prime Minister, we remain curiously silent outside the mamaks and kopitiams.

We need to show our MPs that we do not want Najib as our PM, that we want better from our government. We need to show our MPs that if they do not give Najib the boot, they will face a harsh and resounding verdict from their voters come the next election.

In a parliamentary democracy, the King does not call the shots — it is the voters who do. Our civic responsibility does not stop at the ballot box — it is a responsibility we must uphold, day in and day out, as Malaysians who care about the future of our country and our families.

For the sake of us all, please tell your MP to reject Najib Tun Razak as the next Prime Minister of Malaysia.

John Lee is a second-year student of economics at Dartmouth College in the United States. He has been thinking aloud since 2005 at infernalramblings.com

Malaysia Politics in Turmoil

Malaysia Politics in Turmoil
19 Mar, 2009

The anointment of Najib Tun Razak as prime minister could hit some bumps in the road

Najib's candidacy has been badly bruised by an extraordinary speech to the Rotary Club in Kuala Lumpur by Zaid Ibrahim, who was appointed by Badawi last year as a minister in the prime minister's office with a mandate to clean out the country's scandal-ridden judiciary. However, Zaid was forced out of office by UMNO stalwarts

Asiasentinel.com

Against all odds, what has been the almost certain anointment of Najib Tun Razak as Malaysia's prime minister appears to be foundering as opposition over corruption, high-handedness and other issues mounts, with former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and others turning cool on him.

Najib, Malaysia's scandal-scarred deputy prime minister, had been all but selected as president of the United Malays National Organisation, the leading ethnic political party in the ruling national coalition after the current prime minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, was forced out as party leader late last year. Najib must go through the formality of being named party leader in intra-party elections scheduled from March 24 to 29.

The odds are strong that Najib will get the job. However, no date has been announced for his takeover from Badawi, suggesting that there is still uncertainty within the party over his primacy. The party also appears to be reaping a whirlwind by encouraging young outsider candidates to go against established leaders in an effort to clean the stables. The result, a member of an anti-coirruption agency told local reporters, is that there have been so many complaints of political bribery and corruption that the board doesn't have the manpower to investigate them all.

UMNO is increasingly in chaos, not just for that reason but because public objections are growing over massive scandals when Najib was defense minister, including the purchase of three French submarines that netted a company controlled by his controversial crony, Abdul Razak Baginda, 114 million euros in commissions. Other scandals included the purchase of Russian Sukhoi jet fighters and substandard patrol boats costing hundreds of millions of ringgit in overcharges from a company owned by another UMNO crony, Amin Shah Omar.

Najib's candidacy has been badly bruised by an extraordinary speech to the Rotary Club in Kuala Lumpur by Zaid Ibrahim, who was appointed by Badawi last year as a minister in the prime minister's office with a mandate to clean out the country's scandal-ridden judiciary. However, Zaid was forced out of office by UMNO stalwarts.

In the speech, which can be found in its entirety here, (see Text of Dato' Zaid Ibrahim's speech) Zaid said the country's political institutions are "hollowed out caricatures, unable to distinguish vested party interests from national ones, unable to offer the man in the street refuge from the powerful and connected. Our social fabric that took us from colony to an independent nation and on through the obstacle of nation-building has reached a point where it sometimes feels like we are hanging on by a thread."

Zaid pointed directly at Najib, accusing him of a "shameful power grab" by overthrowing the elected government in the tin-rich state of Perak, of using a "sledgehammer" in the detention of journalists and of complicity in the award of the military contracts.

However, Zaid's most damaging charge was to make a clear reference to the long-standing reports of Najib's complicity in the sensational murder of Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu, who was executed by two shots to the head in October of 2006 and her body was destroyed by military explosives. Two of Najib's bodyguards have been the subject of a long-running trial for her murder and Razak Baginda, his best friend, was acquitted under questionable circumstances. The trial has been concluded, but the verdict against the two has yet to be announced. Baginda has left the country for England.

UMNO, Zaid said, "is on a rampage to regain what it lost by any method available and the man who is expected to lead it to victory is the man who succeeds Abdullah: Najib Razak."

Zaid's speech has been studiously ignored by Malaysia's mainstream press, all of which is owned by the major political parties. But bloggers, who played a major role in the election disaster that cost the ruling coalition its two-thirds majority last March for the first time since Malaysia became a nation, have published the speech widely.

In addition, Raja Petra Kamaruddin, the most popular blogger in Malaysia, has published a series of devastating articles on his website, Malaysia Today, including one from the French newspaper Liberation that tied Najib closely to the murder of Altantuya. Raja Petra also published a Malay-language copy of the confession of Sirul Azhar Umar, one of the two men on trial for the murder, in which he named Najib's chief of staff, Musa Safri, as the man who ordered the two alleged murderers to pick up Altantuya from in front of the home of her jilted lover, Abdul Razak Baginda.

The rising concerns over Najib have led to the unlikely possibility that dissident elements within UMNO and the other parties, possibly led by the veteran politician Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, would seek to form a coalition government with elements of Pakatan Rakyat, the three-party opposition coalition headed by Anwar Ibrahim. Others have called on Badawi to stay on, although the king has already accepted his resignation. One opinion poll showed that Badawi has stronger support – a weak 46 percent – than Najib at 41 percent.

Either scenario is farfetched. But in the meantime, UMNO appears to be falling on itself in the factional battle for primacy between the remainder of Badawi's forces,Najib's allies and those aligned with Mahathir Mohamad, who has continued to hammer Badawi and lately has written uncomplimentary remarks about Najib as well, saying he has not been a success as deputy prime minister.

An anti-corruption committee has barred the Malacca chief minister, Ali Rastam, from contesting for the job of deputy president against Muhyiddin Yassin, who is believed to be backed by Najib, on charges of throwing money around to UMNO delegates. At the same time, Mohd Khir Toyo, who is the Najib-backed front runner for the job of leader of the influential UMNO youth wing, was acquitted of the same charges. Apart from Ali Rastam, anti-corruption officials are also investigating the Tourism Minister, Azalina Othman Said and Umno Youth FT head Norza Zakaria, all of whom are reputed to be Badawi supporters and close to Khairy Jamaluddin, who is seeking to become head of the youth wing against Mahathir's son, Mirzan, and Mohd Khir Toyo. That has raised allegations that the anti-corruption agency, installed last year by Badawi, has become politicized.

In addition to attempting to overthrow the state governments now in the hands of the opposition by luring opposition members to the ruling coalition, Najib and UMNO forces have fanned Malaysia's always touchy ethnic divisions by charging Karpal Singh, the national chairman of the opposition Democratic Action Party, of sedition after Karpal announced he would sue the sultan of Perak for appointing an UMNO chief minister after Pakatan lawmakers defected in February, resulting in a 28-28 tie. Karpal's threat of a suit against the sultan was taken by UMNO as a provocation against the Malay royalty. Karpal's son, also a member of parliament, didn't help, however, when he called Najib a murderer in parliament, which got him banned from the house for a year

"The charges against Karpal are ludicrous because it was during the Mahathir administration that they amended the constitution removing the immunity of the rulers," said a longtime Badawi ally. "During that period, the comments made by Mahathir and his Umno leaders and the editorials in Umno-controlled newspapers were so bad that they should all have been charged with sedition and put behind bars."

Friday March 20, 2009

Dr M: Zaid’s plea to King on Najib ‘very stupid’

KUALA LUMPUR: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has rubbished a statement by former minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Zaid Ibrahim on the country’s leadership transition.

On Wednesday, Zaid urged the Yang di-Pertuan Agong not to appoint Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak as the new prime minister.

Describing the statement as “very stupid”, Dr Mahathir said Zaid was a person who would party-hop.

“Why should the Yang diPertuan Agong listen to the opinion of only one man? And the person who made that suggestion is not even a credible figure,” he said.

“Takkan Yang di-Pertuan Agong mahu dengar cakap katak. (I don’t think the Yang diPertuan Agong would listen to a frog),” he told reporters at his office here, yesterday.

On the disqualification of Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam to contest the Umno deputy presidency, Dr Mahathir said it was “peculiar” that Mohd Ali had maintained his position as the Malacca Chief Minister.

“There was a case of Tan Sri Mohd Isa Samad who was thrown out because he was involved in money politics and he also lost his position as a minister (Federal Territories Minister).

“What will the public think of Mohd Ali remaining as Chief Minister? We will hear it in the next general election,” he said.

Umno vice-president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said Zaid’s statement was irresponsible and malicious and would not contribute towards uniting the rakyat.

“Instead, he clearly has the motive of causing uncertainty among Umno members and the public at large,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Muhyiddin said it was obvious that Umno’s power transition was running smoothly and that it was proven that Najib had gained the trust of many Umno divisions to be the next party president.

He said by convention and Barisan Nasional tradition, the Umno president was the most qualified person to lead the country.

Umno supreme council member Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal described Zaid’s statement as devoid of logic as it had been the practice to appoint the Umno president as the prime minister.

People’s Power, Kuasa Rakyat, Makhal Sakhti, Ren Quan

People’s Power, Kuasa Rakyat, Makhal Sakhti, Ren Quan
18 Mar, 2009

If Zaid Ibrahim is prepared to spearhead a People’s Movement with a view that it would be a platform for a new ‘People’s Party’ -- whether registered or otherwise -- then we must give him our support to enable this new ‘informal’ party to flourish.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

First read this piece that I picked up from YB Lim Kit Siang’s Blog:

BTN communal poison again

Yesterday, I received an indignant email from a recent participant in the course of the Biro Tata Negara (BTN) -- funded by taxpayers but acting as the propaganda arm of UMNO -- pumping communal poison instead of spreading the message of national unity.

Despite criticisms against the BTN, both in and out of Parliament, invariably followed by denials by the Minister or Deputy Minister concerned, it is clear from this email that BTN has not changed one whit its irresponsible ways.

I read out the complaints in the email in Parliament yesterday during the debate on the 2008 Supplementary Estimates, viz:

Their purpose is to convey THEIR Message to us but I think they are absolutely wrong. It made us more irritable towards BN government and make us more stronger to vote opposition.

Here are their messages:

(1) Kontrak sosial about Kerakyatan and Hak Istimewa Orang Melayu

Effects: Non-Malays should appreciate and cannot expect more. They use Malay toleransi us and also “Terhutang Budi terhadap mereka”.

(2) The country is not safe after 308. The government is not strong enough to maintain the safety. The oppositions is creating chaos in the country. They give a lot of examples. If we continues like this, it might explode another 513 or war in Malaysia like in Iraq. They show us the pictures and videos of Iraq. Therefore we need to vote BN for the peace.

(3) To protect Islam and Malay special rights Malays have to bersepadu for Ketuanan Melayu.

(4) Indians and Chinese contribute nothing to this country. It is the non-Malays who wants to join the Pakatan that time and we beg for that. Throughout the course they only emphasize on Malay’s contribution and say nothing on non-Malays.

(5) Their perpaduan means Ketuanan Malay and never sama rata because they said this is according to Kontrak Sosial. They conducted every facts on Chinese Malay and Indian and not mentioning Malaysian.

(6) They claim oppositions is a spy from America and going to attack Malaysia soon.

In allowing BTN to continue such communal poison in its courses, Umno and the other Barisan Nasional component parties are proving in Parliament, the Cabinet, and to Malaysians at large, that they continue to be blind, deaf and mute to the message of the March 2008 general election for reform and that they deserve further punishment by the Malaysian electorate.

Lim Kit Siang (http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2009/03/18/btn-communal-poison-again/ )

***************************************

I have not edited the contents of the above e-mail to Lim Kit Siang in spite of quite a few grammatical errors as I thought it would be better if I reproduce it as it is rather than be accused of ‘doctoring’ it. Anyway, the message is clear enough, grammatical errors notwithstanding.

The point is, BTN is, and always has been, the propaganda unit of the government. It’s job is to brainwash Malays into believing that the non-Malays want to rob the Malays of their rights, the opposition leaders are all traitors who works for foreign governments, Anwar Ibrahim is an American stooge and a homosexual to boot, liberal Malays are Muslim deviants who have distorted Islamic teachings, the Christians want to mislead Muslims and get them to leave Islam, and whatnot.

The BTN is a government body. Therefore, the Malaysian taxpayers are paying for its running cost. And, according to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the non-Malays are paying 90% of the personal income tax, in particular the Chinese. This is what the ex-Prime Minister said and I assume, since he was Prime Minister of this country for 22 years, he must know what he is talking about.

Imagine the Chinese paying for the cost to upkeep something that is used to demonise them? I suppose at this point of my article most of you are expecting me to scream ‘Cina bodoh’! Yes, it is tempting to do that. But I really don’t blame the Chinese. I mean, Malays too pay billions of Ringgit of their hard-earned money to the religious department in the form of zakat, and this money is also misused and squandered. The Malays are only doing what they thought was their religious duty and what God ordered. How do they know the so-called trustees of Islam are screwing them and their money?

So, would I be correct in screaming ‘Melayu bodoh’? Hey, they were just doing their religious duty. How would they know they are being conned by the Malaysian government? In that same spirit, the Chinese also have no choice but to pay their taxes. If not, they would end up in court. So, how can I scream ‘Cina bodoh’ even if they are? Anyway, even if you do not pay personal income tax, you still pay taxes in other ways. Everything in Malaysia is taxable. And that money too goes to the government and is misused.

We, the Malaysian rakyat, pay tax. So we have a right in determining what the government does with our money. We can’t avoid paying tax even if we wanted to -- unless we live in the jungle and live off the land. Then, if we do not earn money and do not spend money, we would be exempted from paying tax. (Hey, that’s an idea. Maybe I will go live in the jungle and save myself from paying taxes. Gunung Tahan, here I come!).

Okay, let’s get serious. The government works for us. We are paying them to serve us. We, the Malaysian rakyat cum taxpayer, are the bosses. It is Ketuanan Rakyat, not Ketuanan Melayu. The fucking exponents of Ketuanan Melayu do not pay tax. They live off the taxpayers. They receive money. The Chinese pay money, 90% of it, according to Dr Mahathir, and this money goes to those who scream ‘Ketuanan Melayu’.

It is time we taught the government who’s the boss. We are the boss, not the government, not the Ketuanan MelayuKetuanan Melayu slime-balls and scumbags are robbing the nation -- money that we, the taxpayers, the rakyat, are paying the government.

It is time we taught the government the meaning of People’s Power, Kuasa Rakyat, Makhal Sakhti, Ren Quan. Call it by whatever name (in Iban, Dayak, Bugis, Kadazan, Bajau, Dusun, etc., language) the meaning is the same. It means: we, the people, call the shots.

Enough wastage of public funds! Enough corruption and abuse of power! Enough persecution, discrimination, oppression and selective prosecution! Enough racism! We must stop this rot. And only the rakyat can do this. The politicians, both sides of the political divide, appear to have failed us.

The economy is crumbling. By year-end about one million Malaysians will be unemployed. The government quotes figures of only 50,000. Bullshit! It is going to be more than that -- much, much more. As it is now, the unemployment rate is already more than 100,000. However, instead of focusing on the economy, they spend all their time over a hapless tree in Ipoh. Talk about fiddling while Rome burns.

I am proposing that Zaid Ibrahim spearheads a new political movement. Never mind if the government will not allow the new movement to get registered into a political party. The movement does not need to be a registered political party. After all, Pakatan Rakyat is not registered either. So what’s the difference?

The new political movement -- registered or otherwise -- must be people-centred. It must be people-oriented. It must be about People’s Power, Kuasa Rakyat, Makhal Sakhti, Ren Quan! It must be about bringing reforms to Malaysia. Let the Manifesto be the People’s Declaration that was launched and accepted by seven political parties back in February 2008, three of these parties from Pakatan Rakyat. We do not need to invent another manifesto. Why the need to re-invent the wheel when the present one already works fine?

The agenda of the new movement must be to abolish all repressive laws -- and there are many in Malaysia. We must introduce new laws such as the Anti-Race Act, Freedom of Information Act, Bill of Rights, and much more. We must set up an Ombudsman that is headed by people with the characteristics and reputation of Ghandi and Mother Teresa both rolled into one. The Police Force Commission, Judicial Commission, Human Rights Commission, Anti-Corruption Commission and whatnot, must be totally independent and headed by personalities such as those heading the Ombudsman, people with an unblemished and squeaky-clean record.

We must have a People’s Parliament. While the Parliamentarians are elected during the general election, the Senate must function as it was originally intended, as a ‘second-layer’ Parliament. The Senators must come from the rakyat, not from the political parties, like now. The Senators must be representatives from the various councils, organisations, movements, societies, associations, and even from the Blogging community and whatever.

The Senate must have the power to review all bills and laws introduced and passed by Parliament. And whatever is not acceptable will be sent back to Parliament, unsigned and unapproved. Parliament will then have to debate these bills and laws again until they get it right and the Senate is happy with them.

Another possibility would be for 10% of the seats in Parliament to be reserved for the minority groups. We will have to determine who these minority groups are, but the objective is to ensure that there would be no way any one party can have hegemony in Parliament. If there are 222 seats in Parliament, then another 20 seats must be given to the minority group. So we shall have 222 Parliamentarians representing their constituencies and another 20 representing minority interests.

Okay, the arithmetic and mechanics need to be worked out. But the long and short of it would be only 90% of the seats in Parliament will be under the control of political parties. The balance 10% would go to representatives of minority interests who hold no political affiliations or sit in any political party. These would be the ‘direct’ rakyat’s representatives -- a sort of ‘People’s Parliamentarian’. They would therefore not have to vote along party lines since they hold no political party position.

Yes, there are many reforms required and much that can be done to reform the system. We need to think outside the box and break away from tradition. Forget about what we have been doing these last 52 years. The system sucks and we are seeing it break down. Get out of the rut of the traditional system and venture into new territory. Why do we need to do what is normally done? Why can’t we do new things even if they may appear unorthodox?

We talk about democracy and democratically elected representatives in Parliament. That is bullshit. The 222 Parliamentarians that we now have are not representatives of the people who voted them into office. They represent the political parties that allowed them to contest the seat under its party banner. Their loyalty is not to the voters. It is to the parties they represent. The 222 Parliamentarians are not Wakil Rakyat. They are Wakil Parti.

If Zaid Ibrahim is prepared to spearhead a People’s Movement with a view that it would be a platform for a new ‘People’s Party’ -- whether registered or otherwise -- then we must give him our support to enable this new ‘informal’ party to flourish. That would be our only hope for the future. And that too will be the only hope for People’s Power, Kuasa Rakyat, Makhal Sakhti, Ren Quan to succeed.

Over to you Zaid! I hope you will agree to this People’s Movement and develop it into a People’s Party in time to come. And this new People’s Movement or informal People’s Party can also one day contest the general elections. Whether a three-corner fight will emerge or whether it will be a one-to-one fight depends on Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat. If they agree to ‘give way’ to this new People’s Party, say 20 Parliament seats and maybe 50 state seats, then it can remain a one-to-one fight. If not, expect a three-corner fight and we will let the rakyat decide whether they want the traditional ‘two-party’ system or they want to see a true People’s Party emerge. The rakyat, after all, are the boss and we are talking about People’s Power, Kuasa Rakyat, Makhal Sakhti, Ren Quan. slime-balls and scumbags. The

Malaysia's next PM faces furore over corruption sweep

Malaysia's next PM faces furore over corruption sweep
Posted: 18 March 2009

Malaysia's DPM Najib Razak

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's incoming leader Najib Razak faced a furore Wednesday over corruption charges against members of his party, while a former Cabinet minister called for the king to block his appointment.

Fifteen members of the ruling UMNO party were Tuesday reprimanded over vote-buying during intense campaigning ahead of internal leadership elections next week.

The most prominent was Mohamad Ali Rustam, who was running to become deputy prime minister but is now disqualified. Najib, the current deputy, is due to replace Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi this month.

Mohamad Ali said he would appeal against the decision.

Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar said the decision to punish the party members was potentially damaging, and that although UMNO needs to stamp out money politics the timing was unfortunate.

"If action is taken before you reach the final hurdle, then things will collapse. When it collapses, it will create a lot of undercurrents," he said, according to The Star daily.

"And these undercurrents for UMNO in its present state are not healthy," he said, referring to the party's crisis of confidence since disastrous results in
general elections a year ago.

Najib has rejected suggestions that the move against Mohamad Ali -- seen as close to Abdullah's outgoing administration -- could trigger a split within the party.

James Chin, a political analyst from Monash University's campus in Kuala Lumpur, said vested interests meant Najib would survive the furore despite shouts of outrage from Abdullah's faction.

"The best way to describe UMNO is that it's a giant patronage machine. When people are angry it simply means they've been cut out of patronage. Those who are still on the gravy train will never go against the leader," he said.

Adding to the pressure on Najib, former Cabinet minister Zaid Ibrahim on Wednesday appealed to the king to block his appointment as prime minister because of "unanswered allegations" over corruption and a murder.

"The air must be cleared, it is thick with accusations and doubts which can only undermine the office of the prime minister if he were to assume it," Zaid, a maverick who was sacked from the party last year, said in a speech.

Najib has been forced to repeatedly deny any involvement in the 2006 murder of 28-year-old Mongolian woman Altantuya Shaariibuu, the lover of one of his close aides, whose body was blown up with military-grade explosives.

Can Zaid be a third force?

Can Zaid be a third force?
13 Nov, 2008

By Baradan Kuppusamy, THE MALAYSIAN INSIDER

Zaid has always shown a willingness to speak his mind on sensitive issues.

With forces in Umno pushing for action to be taken against him, former de facto Law Minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim appears headed towards joining Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s PKR.

Zaid has been asked to show cause by Umno, a move that sets the stage for his sacking or eventual resignation.

Except that with the spotlight in PKR focused on adviser Anwar, Zaid might find himself isolated if he does join PKR.

If he eventually finds PKR unpalatable, Zaid has the choice of remaining independent and work to forge and lead a third force in national politics.

It is a serious issue for a bold, forthright and uncompromising man like Zaid whether he can really fit comfortably into a party like PKR or for that matter political parties that are usually dominated by powerful, ambitious and ego-driven individuals.

In any case Zaid might not exactly be welcomed in the PKR because potentially he might overshadow the likes of vice-presidents Azmin Ali and S. Sivarasa and information chief Tian Chua, who all share the same secular, liberal political platform.

It’s probable that Zaid, having been a minister who had the gumption to resign and shown a willingness to speak his mind on sensitive issues, would be another star attraction in PKR besides Anwar.

He would most definitely overshadow Anwar's underlings and possibly spark friction in the PKR if he does joins the party as is widely speculated.

Not only would the secular leaders be unhappy, the fundamentalist hardliners like Kulim/Bandar Baru MP Zulkifli Noordin would also find Zaid anathema and are expected to object.

These and other political considerations are going through Zaid's mind, his aides said. "He is prepared to burn his bridges with Umno but is not sure yet on his political career except that he would continue to speak out against injustice," one aide said.

Bold or foolish, Zaid has challenged the Umno power brokers with his stringent views on the need to bury the NEP, promote meritocracy and repeal the ISA.

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has picked Zaid as his latest punching bag and unleashed a volley of attacks on his blog aimed at tarnishing Zaid's reputation by questioning the source of his income.

This is just for starters because Dr Mahathir is not one to start a fight and leave the ring without victory.

Zaid naturally invites retaliation and it is not surprising that the new Umno leadership that is taking shape has asked Zaid to show cause why disciplinary action should not be taken.

Frankly, political analysts say, Zaid is just too big and too bold for Umno and the Umno power brokers feel they are better off without him.

Umno insiders said although some liberals in the party are strongly against it, most of the incoming team is for taking some action against the party's most wayward and headstrong member.

Zaid, who joined Umno in 2000 and who was suspended once as Kota Baru division chief for "money politics", might be either suspended again or sacked.

It would be a loss for the party to sack a man once described as the conscience of Umno.

With some doors shut and others not so palatable open to him, Zaid is confronted by the one logical choice before him — to develop and lead a third force in national politics besides the Barisan Nasional and the Pakatan Rakyat coalitions.

He is ambitious enough, rich enough and national enough to carve out a platform for himself and not necessarily at the head of a new political party but potentially as leader of a fledgling NGO with the potential to grow into a movement.

If the venture takes off he can later convert the movement into another multiracial political party.

Zaid has the stature and boldness to win support across the political landscape much as Anwar was able to do except that Zaid is open and bold enough to challenge the sacred ghosts of Umno and Pas unlike Anwar who avoids the minefields for fear of losing Malay support.

Scandal free and not bogged down by the Islamic baggage nor the need to pay obeisance to the Ketuanan Melayu ideology, Zaid is better placed to lead the Malay moderates who have always looked for a Malay leader to confront the growing impact of Islamic laws into what they see as their "private life."

Inter-racial collaboration is a fact in the Pakatan Rakyat but the push for more Islam and the need to defend Malay rights is also a growing force in the coalition that is fuelled by PKR hardliners and conservatives in Pas.

The tussle between the hardliners and the liberals is a constant theme in the Pakatan coalition and one that is quite impossible to resolve unless the coalition sets the rule, spells out clearly its agenda and works out a constitution.

It has to speak as a Malaysian party to all Malaysians unlike the current set up where each party speaks differently to its different constituents.

In such an environment Zaid has the advantage to speak to all Malaysians with a common message — an end to race politics, equality and meritocracy in an egalitarian society.

There is firmness and clarity to Zaid's message — that the old order is dead and a new one is necessary — that is missing in the Pakatan Rakyat coalition which is a marriage of dissimilar political parties glued together by the skills of one man.

Zaid should consider leading the emerging third force in national politics.

Zaid has always shown a willingness to speak his mind on sensitive issues.

With forces in Umno pushing for action to be taken against him, former de facto Law Minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim appears headed towards joining Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s PKR.

Zaid has been asked to show cause by Umno, a move that sets the stage for his sacking or eventual resignation.

Except that with the spotlight in PKR focused on adviser Anwar, Zaid might find himself isolated if he does join PKR.

If he eventually finds PKR unpalatable, Zaid has the choice of remaining independent and work to forge and lead a third force in national politics.

It is a serious issue for a bold, forthright and uncompromising man like Zaid whether he can really fit comfortably into a party like PKR or for that matter political parties that are usually dominated by powerful, ambitious and ego-driven individuals.

In any case Zaid might not exactly be welcomed in the PKR because potentially he might overshadow the likes of vice-presidents Azmin Ali and S. Sivarasa and information chief Tian Chua, who all share the same secular, liberal political platform.

It’s probable that Zaid, having been a minister who had the gumption to resign and shown a willingness to speak his mind on sensitive issues, would be another star attraction in PKR besides Anwar.

He would most definitely overshadow Anwar's underlings and possibly spark friction in the PKR if he does joins the party as is widely speculated.

Not only would the secular leaders be unhappy, the fundamentalist hardliners like Kulim/Bandar Baru MP Zulkifli Noordin would also find Zaid anathema and are expected to object.

These and other political considerations are going through Zaid's mind, his aides said. "He is prepared to burn his bridges with Umno but is not sure yet on his political career except that he would continue to speak out against injustice," one aide said.

Bold or foolish, Zaid has challenged the Umno power brokers with his stringent views on the need to bury the NEP, promote meritocracy and repeal the ISA.

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has picked Zaid as his latest punching bag and unleashed a volley of attacks on his blog aimed at tarnishing Zaid's reputation by questioning the source of his income.

This is just for starters because Dr Mahathir is not one to start a fight and leave the ring without victory.

Zaid naturally invites retaliation and it is not surprising that the new Umno leadership that is taking shape has asked Zaid to show cause why disciplinary action should not be taken.

Frankly, political analysts say, Zaid is just too big and too bold for Umno and the Umno power brokers feel they are better off without him.

Umno insiders said although some liberals in the party are strongly against it, most of the incoming team is for taking some action against the party's most wayward and headstrong member.

Zaid, who joined Umno in 2000 and who was suspended once as Kota Baru division chief for "money politics", might be either suspended again or sacked.

It would be a loss for the party to sack a man once described as the conscience of Umno.

With some doors shut and others not so palatable open to him, Zaid is confronted by the one logical choice before him — to develop and lead a third force in national politics besides the Barisan Nasional and the Pakatan Rakyat coalitions.

He is ambitious enough, rich enough and national enough to carve out a platform for himself and not necessarily at the head of a new political party but potentially as leader of a fledgling NGO with the potential to grow into a movement.

If the venture takes off he can later convert the movement into another multiracial political party.

Zaid has the stature and boldness to win support across the political landscape much as Anwar was able to do except that Zaid is open and bold enough to challenge the sacred ghosts of Umno and Pas unlike Anwar who avoids the minefields for fear of losing Malay support.

Scandal free and not bogged down by the Islamic baggage nor the need to pay obeisance to the Ketuanan Melayu ideology, Zaid is better placed to lead the Malay moderates who have always looked for a Malay leader to confront the growing impact of Islamic laws into what they see as their "private life."

Inter-racial collaboration is a fact in the Pakatan Rakyat but the push for more Islam and the need to defend Malay rights is also a growing force in the coalition that is fuelled by PKR hardliners and conservatives in Pas.

The tussle between the hardliners and the liberals is a constant theme in the Pakatan coalition and one that is quite impossible to resolve unless the coalition sets the rule, spells out clearly its agenda and works out a constitution.

It has to speak as a Malaysian party to all Malaysians unlike the current set up where each party speaks differently to its different constituents.

In such an environment Zaid has the advantage to speak to all Malaysians with a common message — an end to race politics, equality and meritocracy in an egalitarian society.

There is firmness and clarity to Zaid's message — that the old order is dead and a new one is necessary — that is missing in the Pakatan Rakyat coalition which is a marriage of dissimilar political parties glued together by the skills of one man.

Zaid should consider leading the emerging third force in national politics.