Monday, April 19, 2010
Zaid Ibrahim! The fire is burning your way...
Born in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Zaid started his law studies in Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Shah Alam (or Institut Teknologi Mara (ITM) as it was known then) by taking his LL.B (Hons.) External Programme which was conducted by the University of London. Upon graduating from ITM, he went to London and was accepted as a Barrister-at-Law, Inner Temple. In 1987 he founded Zaid Ibrahim & Co., which as of 2008 is the largest law firm in Malaysia with over 140 lawyers.[1]
Zaid is known for his criticism of the government's handling of legal issues such as the judiciary, human rights and Islamic law. He supported the establishment of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Lingam Video Clip, criticising the government's initial response to the clip, which allegedly revealed fixing of judicial decisions and graft in the judiciary.[3]
Within days of his appointment as Minister, Zaid stated that the government had to openly apologise for its handling of the 1988 Judicial Crisis, which saw the sacking of the then Lord President of the Supreme Court, Tun Salleh Abas, from his seat. Zaid called it one of his three main goals: "In the eyes of the world, the judicial crisis has weakened our judiciary system."[6] However, he rejected the idea of reviewing the decision: "I am not suggesting that we re-open the case. I am saying that it’s clear to everyone, to the world, that serious transgressions had been committed by the previous administration. And I believe that the prime minister is big enough and man enough to say that we had done wrong to these people and we are sorry."[7]
Malaysia Today, a pro-opposition alternative media wrote as follows:
Zaid Ibrahim may easily be the best possible candidate for Hulu Selangor by election. After all, he is a former minister, highly principled, a well known face nationally, a corporate figure and a high ranking political figure in his party.
Not only he may be the best, but also the most convenient candidate for Anwar Ibrahim and his team.
How could a person of such perfect pedigree be facing a tirade of personal attacks in the Hulu Selangor by-election. Zaid Ibrahim the ideal candidate for the Hulu Selangor by-election is suddenly forced to be on the defensive. Today he was forced to make a defensive statement as follows:
HULU SELANGOR: Datuk Zaid Ibrahim has owned up to a mistake made in the past but says his drinking days are over.
The PKR candidate also says he does not want to be a hypocrite by trying to hide his shortcomings.
“It’s past. It is an old story. If they want make an issue out of it, let it them. I have sought Allah’s forgiveness. I ask Selangor for forgiveness, the ball is at Umno’s feet.
“Whatever my shortcomings, my weaknesses, I am human, but I am capable of becoming an elected representative.” he said.
Finally Pakatan is having a taste of their own medicine. Remember what they say about people living in glass-houses should not throw stones. PAKATAN had been an expert at throwing stones because their candidates have been largely unknowns. The BN candidates by and large are high profile personalities with baggage or public image that have been damaged due to facts or rumors. PAKATAN had adopted the strategy of personal attack to the fullest and they have been successful to date.
In the Hulu Selangor by-election, the BN candidate is a relatively unknown as compared to PAKATAN'scandidate. Knowing the candidate, you would have plenty of facts to dispel the real person ZAID IBRAHIM as to the artistically painted and packaged person. He was even also said to have been head hunted and identified as the reserve for the other son of Ibrahim (Anwar) in the event the sodomy trial sticks. Zaid would have taken over from Anwar to lead PAKATAN to Putrajaya.
Change or no change...the culture and practices of Tun Mahathir's time have been changed. The present PMDato Seri Najib had introduced and seriously walked the talk of change. His "A New Vision For Malaysia" outlined changes along the New Economic Model and the Government Transformation Programme that reflects the desire, demand and thinking of the common people.
The Hulu Selangor by-election should be an election on issues as opposed to issues against personalities. The electorates must be educated on what they are voting for? The electorates are lucky to be God chosen to determine the future direction of the political trend in Malaysia.
The issue is whether they support Dato Seri Najib's walk whereas many were just doing the talk.
The electorates are not voting on the local issues alone. They are not voting on Zaid or Kamalanathan. They are not voting for an Indian or a Malay. They must be reminded that they are voting for the future political leadership or direction of the nation. Are we going to standstill fighting for change when the wheels of change is in motion?
Just to get Anwar DAP or PAS to Putrajaya?
Must Dato Seri Najib be punished for all the wrongs and corruptions of the past regime under TunMahathir/Anwar Ibrahim?
Should we allow issues of the past to cloud the present?
Lets move forward and support change under Dato Seri Najib...Let's move on! We cannot run on the spot based on past mistakes made at a certain time in a certain environment.
It is Najib's call now....he is making some very difficult decision under very trying and challenging political circumstance.
Tun Abdullah had pleaded that the Rakyat work with him to bring about changes. Instead Tun Mahathir and many had failed to work with him but worked against him instead...
DS Najib had pledged and pleaded in New York as follows:
NEW YORK: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak says he will not back off from making difficult decisions in reforming Malaysia’s economic model and transforming the Government.
“To those who harbour doubts whether as Prime Minister, I have the will to bring about these difficult changes, I have this to say: ‘When the going gets tough, the tough get going.’
“I am ready to make the difficult changes that Malaysia needs,” Najib told an international audience at a lunch talk organised by the Asia Society here on Friday.
Let's give him the political support he needed. The nation had enough of personal attack or political spins! The Malaysians have woken up to the reality and challenges of the Malaysian political terrain.
We have extremist on both ends. We have fundamentalist lurking to emerge at the right time. We have manyPAKATAN leaders with flesh and hot-blooded like BN. The issue is change and Najib is bravely leading us on a path of change...
Let's forget about Zaid's personal problem and move on to support the Prime Minister's reform...it is easier said than done!
Oh yes! Zaid was a staunch Mahathir supporter...and a beneficiary too!
But now the tables are turning....the fire is burning...and it is burning the other way!
No comments:
Post a Comment