Monday, September 15, 2008

Zaid Ibrahim quits

[updated, 16/9 after midnight: PM tells Zahid to go on 2-week leave, h e r e]

Original article:
Hero? Zaid Ibrahim sent in his quit letter to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi a while ago, making good his threat to resign if his position in the Cabinet has become no longer tenable following his remarks on the Internal Security Act.
Undoubtedly, the de factor Law Minister will be hailed as an anti-ISA icon, simply because he is from Umno/BN. But Zaid is not alone nor the firsat in the Government to speak out against the detention of RPK, Theresa Kok and journalist Tan Hoon Cheng under the ISA.



Read BN members last out at ISA, but do take note that another MCA vice president, Chua Soi Lek, had made his stand even earlier; in fact, the former Cabinet minister was calling on his party leaders to speak to the PM about the arrests (read here). Samy Vellu, too, for that matter! From Umno, Information Minister Shabery Cheek has also asked the police to explain the arrest of the journalist (but not RPK and DAP's Theresa).
Again, as far as the MCA is concerned, it would seem to me that Ka Ting and Teek Keat were taking the cue from Wong Chun Wai, the Star's top editor, who wrote in his blog here on Sept 12, that the use of the ISA cannot be justified: "This is not just a draconian law but an archaic one. These are reporters and writers, not terrorists or communists. Those that deserve to be punished are racist politicians not scribes. It is unacceptable in a democracy, if we still claim we are one."

Within Umno, Zaid's resignation will be interpreted differently, I suppose, especially with the divisional elections coming after Hari Raya and Zaid's promise to reform the judiciary within six months of being made Senator and de facto Law Minister iby Abdullah after the March general election. For a right-wing Umno perspective, perspective, click h e r e.

60 comments:

  1. Zaid is NOT the FIRST, but he's got BALLS to resign. That's separates him from the rest - who are like LALANG, playing SAFE.

    SYABAS Zahid!

    The rest are just TALK TALK TALK till COWS COME HOME.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous4:20 pm

    pls la rocky. talking about failure and then quick exit, what about Dollah? what about Tun? other than his instant noodle economy, he failed all his Cekap, Bersih, Amanah. I heard he's making a comeback...talk about muka tebal.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Zaid Ibrahim is making it easier for the embattled PM's departure from mainstream politics. While Muhyiddin, Rais and now Najib and several other play-safe flip flop ministers have upped the pressure on Pak Lah, he might have driven the first nail in the PM's coffin.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hero? What hero? This De Facto Legal Minister cum representative from the Bar council is totally garbage!Nobody is going to cry, nobody is going to beg for your return, and no one will ever give a damn to your missing shadow. Because nobody cares!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous4:34 pm

    Hello Rocky!

    Orang orang MCA, Gerakan dan MIC yang kutuk ISA itu diorang buat pasal apa?

    Pasal kalau tak kutuk, hilang lagi kredibiliti mereka di kalangan bukan Melayu dan mereka akan di anggap parti yang tidak membela nasib kaum mereka. Itu saja.

    Zaid Ibrahim pula tidak perlu takut apa apa. Dia boleh kritik macam menteri-menteri MCA dan terus pegang jawatan. Tidak menjadi masalah bagi Zaid.

    Tapi Zaid berani dan sanggup meletak jawatan demi prinsip.

    Kalau kau Rocky ada jawatan menteri, kau senang-senang sanggup letak jawatan tak kalau prinsip kau tidak sehaluan dengan prinsip kabinet menteri?

    Cakap bebaik skit. Jangan perkecilkan orang lain Rocky.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous4:35 pm

    Who cares? What's so great about Zaid? Wasnt he suspended before due money politic? Wasn't his supporter the one try to burn down umno building in kota baru due to failure to obtain nomination? He is of no lost to UMNO, he's not even an MP. I hope pak Lah will accept his resignation

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous4:37 pm

    hero pasal ISA?
    eh...please lah...
    kutu nih dah terbabas belasah VP umno sendiri...sebab tulah di di suruh berhenti...kalau tidak Tan Sri tu akan gaduh besar...

    kitasama

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous4:43 pm

    Odd that bigmouth Anwar is so silent on the ISA now...

    As is bigmouth Mahathir...

    - Sword O' Might

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous4:47 pm

    Goooodddd riddance!

    Its long overdue we get this Minister in Charge of Ex-Gratia?

    Continue with the ISA!

    Tangkap itu Harris Ibrahim, Malik Imtiaz, Farish Noor, Din Merican, ... Dr Kua Kia Soong, Marvis Puthucherry ...

    Acah aja.

    Tengok dalam seluar dua lawyer fasiq mengaku good Muslim. Ada lagi?

    Or shrunk to oblivion!

    All you people. Excercise sopan santun and consider sensitivity when shouting for your cause.

    If you do not know how to be polite, then let the wiser one deal with it.

    Loud is not clever, its plain jane stupid!

    ReplyDelete
  10. SAY NO TO ISA
    The disease of excessive greed of power has created our Malaysian leaders being inefficiency , negligence, corrupted , malpractice and abuse of power. What is highly objectionable, however is the use of ISA to restrict the publication of matters of public interest - when our public interests required openness and continuing need freedom of information in our modern society.

    We have to create a more open government, which respect and upholds the fundamental right to allow all rightful Malaysian citizens in all matters affecting the country and people everyday life.
    The use of ISA on political leader, blogger and journalist by it self is a self definition of an undemocratic and autocratic government.

    Such a government does not become a democratic just because once in every five years it holds general election and win marginally in the 2008 therefore denied people the opportunities to intelligently exercise a free choice of opinions. Through the denial of information and mass media control has confirm that government is hiding information from the public.

    This can only deepen the despair and disillusionment on Malaysian and this clearly cannot be beneficial to economic development and progress.So I as a Malaysian citizen pledge to the present prime minister to release those held under ISA .

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous4:53 pm

    The difference between them is that Datuk Zaid walked his talk. It shows that he's not afraid of losing his position. You cannot say the same for the rest of them ball-less cowboys.

    Alibaba

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous4:55 pm

    You may have a bone to pick with him for reasons known to all, but it will be childish if you can imagine that you can less his bold moral stand by regurgitating pussyfooting comments by some BN leaders concerning the ISA. Taking an action by resigning from the cabinet and issuing a faint statement is not and can't and will never be the same. It is time you appreciate what's moral despite your allegiance. Huh!

    ReplyDelete
  13. The simple fact, Zaid is a serving minister in the present cabinet. In his comment unlike others he spell out what the ISA should and shouldn't do if it was to be invoked.

    Give the man his due credit. He deserves support from all of us who talk about rights in this country.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous4:59 pm

    bagus juga dia blah.. kurang satu liabiliti.

    ReplyDelete
  15. to Zaid you are a very brave person my full support for you, maybe Syed Hamid should learn from you, we are no more the yes malaysians, but want to know all what happen, Syed Hamid u have to explain a lot,
    joe kuda

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous5:04 pm

    The bottom line is: ZAID WALKED HIS TALK. We must respect him for that.

    You got a problem with that, Rocky?

    UMNO is going to the dogs lah. Accept it Rocky. Your hero Mahathir or Tengku Razaleigh cannot save it anymore.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hats off to you Zaid. you are a man of principle unlike the many clowns in the Cabinet who just close one eye and give stupid reasons why ISA was justified. Blame those detained says one. Go to hell la...HP6 ministers

    Well done Zaid. Time for you to join PKR.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anon 455 wrote:

    You may have a bone to pick with him for reasons known to all, but it will be childish if you can imagine that you can less his bold moral stand by regurgitating pussyfooting comments by some BN leaders concerning the ISA. Taking an action by resigning from the cabinet and issuing a faint statement is not and can't and will never be the same. It is time you appreciate what's moral despite your allegiance. Huh!

    4:55 PM
    --------------

    Anon 455, No I don't have a bone to pick with Zaid. We get along quite well, actually. I am just stating the facts that there are others in the BN who are also opposed to the ISA and that his decision will be used against him at the KB divisional elections.
    tq.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous5:25 pm

    Zaid Ibrahim had wanted to resign once before. He was not getting much support from the Umno ministers in the cabinet in regard his reforms ideas. He had gotten increasingly frustrated as he was dead serious in pushing in the reforms.

    A little bird told me that Zaid may get to implement his reforms after all, only it is with a different govt.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Anonymous5:29 pm

    Rocky

    So what if it is used against him in the KB divisional elections?

    He went by principles. So? What is there to fear?

    If he has a problem under UMNO, he is always welcome to join Parti Keadilan or DAP or PAS.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Anonymous5:42 pm

    Rocky Bro,

    You are too close to Zaid to be able to see that his quit move, brother, is a very calculated move towards ensuring his own political survival. Zaid Ibrahim has been many things but stupid and he knows better than to stick around when the yacht is sinking and the captain still dozing!! This ISA arrests are a perfect charade for a very clever man, indeed. If Anwar and Pakatan get to form a Government, do you think Zaid will not benefit? I mean, he is a HERO without the question mark you inserted at the end of the four-letter word, mark my words. And if Anwar and Pakatan fail, Zaid's voice of conscience will make him a hero among the failed political prophets from the doomed Opposition coalition! Both ways but loose, that's our friend Zaid.

    Hidup Zaid!

    ReplyDelete
  22. "For a right-wing Umno perspective, perspective..."

    Hmph. A humbug.

    Bro Rocky.

    I remember meeting this fellow at the Bloggers Party a few months back, which I had much fun and booze, and still could recall the distinct look of fear and unease on his face when he saw anyone approaching with a camera in hand.

    Bah.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Q. What did one saggy tit say to the other saggy tit?

    ReplyDelete
  24. The brave and righteous have no place in UMNO ministry.
    It must always be..yes men...sitting on the fence ...and idiots.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Bravo, Datuk Zaid Ibrahim!

    In doing so, he has upheld the principle of collective responsibility. If a member of Cabinet disagrees with the decision of the cabinet, then the most honourable thing to do is to resign from the Cabinet.

    So few honourable politicians around this days, though we have over-supply of teh so-called honourable ministers and members of parliaments.

    sad.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Anonymous6:23 pm

    shemeq,
    all of us are too early in kudosing this minister...he had just told the PM that he needed 2-week off to think about the counter offer.

    if he REALLY got balls. he would have said NO, NO, NO to all the bullshits thats going about.

    kitasama

    ReplyDelete
  27. Anonymous6:37 pm

    With the Mahathir-loving faction on the ascendancy in Umno, Zaid saw that his days were numbered.

    He had nothing to lose, and much to gain, from resigning.

    You see, anyone with a grain of decency in him or her would've left Umno, not to mention resign from the Cabinet, a long time ago.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Anonymous6:39 pm

    Zaid Ibrahim and the Bar Council's Ambiga can go to hell...whether you like it or not ISA is here to stay for at least another 50 years. Nobody is going to miss this Zaid cos' he's a nobody in UMNO.

    He can try his luck and become someone famous in the Bar Council or maybe he can try PKR or DAP. Go to hell Zaid ....

    -rocksteady-

    ReplyDelete
  29. Anonymous6:43 pm

    His resignation is rejected by Bodowi.

    Bodowi asks Zaid to take 2 weeks leave and come back and work for him

    Bloody Zaid agreed!!!

    Potong stim mannnnnnnnnn

    ReplyDelete
  30. This one about Zaid Ibrahim is also a hot topic at Susan Loone http://sloone.wordpress.com/2008/09/15/zaid-quits-as-isa-still-reigns/

    I've said my piece/s over there. But I'll repeat one thing: Although he may not be the first high ranking government official to voice his opposition to the abuse of the ISA, his doing so at this moment and in context of the recent events must be valued.

    At the very least, it's a big slap on the faces of the cowardly ministers who have continued to keep quiet over fundamental issues - all for fear of losing their power and influence.

    Zaid is a refreshing difference!

    ReplyDelete
  31. @Cucu Tok Selampit 4:29 PM
    Nobody is going to cry, nobody is going to beg for your return, and no one will ever give a damn to your missing shadow. Because nobody cares!

    Speak for yourself, dude:
    *I* give a damn.
    I care.
    And I will miss him


    And I know many THOUSANDS of people from various races and religions do too.

    So, where is that "nobody" that you claim??

    ReplyDelete
  32. @anonymous 4:35 PM
    What's so great about Zaid?

    A LOT, actually.

    ReplyDelete
  33. I think Zaid quit because he knows that he does not have the support of UMNO grassroots. He quit after being snubbed by Kota Bharu division.

    http://jurublog.blogspot.com/2008/09/face-saving-exit-manoeuvre-by-zaid.html

    ReplyDelete
  34. Remember, Zaid is a lawyer and he knows that the grounds cited can never justify the use of the ISA. What about the other lawyer-ministers: Syed Hamid Albar, Rais Yatim, Nazri Aziz, Hishamuddin...

    2. Zaid is a wealthy man so he doesn't have to think abt the financial repercussion of his resignation. The others kena fikir panjang. Nest belum ready.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Anonymous7:07 pm

    Bodowi rejected Zaid's resignation

    Tells Zaid to take 2 weeks holiday

    Zaid agrees

    Zaid!!! You f***ER!!!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  36. So be it! let the House of Pharoun fall and the People of Lot be dismissed for the last and only symbols for reprieve have set flight. Zahid let your principles take you all the way - you are an example to be followed; now Cross the floor and make haste the devils demise. God Willing!

    ReplyDelete
  37. Anonymous7:56 pm

    Actually... I realised Rocky is RIGHT.

    Don't trust Barisan Nasional ministers, no matter what supposed 'heroics' they do.

    Let's stick to supporting Pakatan Rakyat leaders...

    Let's not jump the gun and praise these Barisan Ministers...

    ReplyDelete
  38. ycg,

    instant noodle economy?

    maybe you could have done better than Tun in 1997??? He worked day and night to save our economy. read up on what he did.

    maybe you should become next PM?

    You could give us mee hailam economy ??

    ReplyDelete
  39. Pak Lah (PL) has rejected Zaid's resignation.

    Right now, PL is a very lonely man in UMNO and in need of all the support he can get. Zaid is indepted to PL for making him Senator and a ‘Back Door’ Minister. So, how could PL let him go at this time?

    PL also knows about Mat Tyson’s tainted reputation, but he needs Mat’s (and his grassroots’) support. A tell-tale sign of PL’s desperate situation i.e. lack of support.

    Other than Zaid and a few others, PL chose to surround himself with a bunch of turkeys and half-baked comedians due to a lack of choice.

    KJ is a wasted talent due to his impatience and infection of ‘foot-in-mouth’ disease. He has done PL more harm than good. He’ll be out come December. Pity.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Anonymous8:39 pm

    THE EVER OPPORTUNISTIC ZAID! He sensed the "Titanic" is sinking soon... so what an opportune time to quit on "self-righteous" note (DIDN'T he realize that there were 30++ people under ISA since 2001?)... so he'll be remembered as the Minister who quits over his principle? He can trick some people on this, but many will remember his other more sinister "blunders"!!

    ReplyDelete
  41. Hats off to Zaid. At least he has the guts and bravery to resign unlike so many others in the BN fold. Your courageous act will not go down unnoticed, that's for sure.Thank you Zaid for showing the way.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Anonymous9:52 pm

    Biaq Zaid bla,,,ramai orang lagi yg berkaliber,,,!!!


    Bodolah aja yg takut,,,,suroh pi cuti 2 minggu,,amek selama-lamanya keta ta'kisah,,!!!!

    Gi jahanan Kerajaan BN,,,,biar nazak,,,!!!

    -mual-

    ReplyDelete
  43. Anonymous9:55 pm

    what balls.?? he was given the post.. ehh if got balls ask him to let go his senatorship also.. that also GIVEN to him..
    he loose nothing..

    -camshial=--

    ReplyDelete
  44. Anonymous9:58 pm

    Zaid for PM! Man with balls, same as RPK!

    Tpg2Sin

    ReplyDelete
  45. Anonymous10:11 pm

    Yang dia ni sibuk sangat nak membela orang yang dah disumbat tu apa cerita. Bukannya orang yang ditahan tu takda buat salah langsung. Semua bersebab. Tak payah nak banyak cakap, buat kecoh, dan nak jadi hero macam ni. Ke sebenarnya dia ni memang nak melompat2 macam katak gak sebenarnya. Semua ni alasan je. Sambil2 tu dapat burukkan kerajaan dengan harapan plan Anwar betul2 berhasil.

    ReplyDelete
  46. Anonymous10:16 pm

    At least we can still see one righteous within the corrupted threshhold.

    ~ NewsObserver

    ReplyDelete
  47. Zaid should not has accepted the senator's post from the first place. He knows by so doing he cannot change his boss preception on ISA - the law that he detests. His resigation will not affect BN since he was not an elected minister. If he were to contest now or in the last election, then almost definitely he would loose. As lawyer, his future lies in the courtroom and not in the parliament.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Anonymous11:13 pm

    Rocky,

    I am not much of an admirer of Zaid but at least he stand by his principle and believe. If ISA is wrong and he believes that it is wrong, then how can he stay put in this BN Govt. or may i say their Elite leaders who believe in this evil law? And i agree with some who left comments that he stood by his principle and took action.
    The others Ministers who oppose but don't take action is because they have selfish reasons. So what if it affect his chances in BUMNO KB? BUMNO is not credible or relevant anymore and he probably realised this. Have you?

    The Simple Man

    ReplyDelete
  49. Anonymous11:30 pm

    Tindakan politik wang perlu dikena.

    Mahathir dah kata, ini orang bukan bersih kes politik wang.

    Malangnya kabinet 'tiada mata & teliga'

    ReplyDelete
  50. Anonymous11:49 pm

    TALKING LANCHAU! WAN TO RESIGN, JUST FUCKING RESIGN LA!

    ...FCUKING-DOLLAH

    ReplyDelete
  51. And I notice..few bloggers cannot differentiate between UMNO is in distress...as against the country is in distress.
    It is UMNO in distress.....not the country.
    One idiotic blogger is trying so hard to get arrested to be a hero...by putting the flag upside
    Police no hue him...because he is a mosquito blog owner...just a big mouth...gas bag. He is ...hoping Anwar or LKS can offer him a job.
    He is calling Malaysians DUMB..while he is the biggest two time face man in blogging.
    Who am I talking...why a ghost rider...smoking a broken pipe!!

    ReplyDelete
  52. Anonymous8:37 am

    go zaid, go zaid. But please QUIT your drinking habit, (that what most of umno leader mention about your bad habit) AS A MUSLIM

    Zamri, sunway

    ReplyDelete
  53. Anonymous8:52 am

    Anonymous,
    Zaid is a man, he has the guts to voice out if there is any injustice. His resignation show he has honour and intergrity to walk the talk. To take it a step futher he shoud also resign from the shit party umno. Hopefully he will not be another TDM trying to return after all his resignation hoha. Hats of to Zaid.
    Dew Good Man

    ReplyDelete
  54. Anonymous11:41 am

    In the first place, Zaid shouldnt be in the cabinet and in politic. He should be concentrating on his ZICO firm and race horses... Or is this another PL's ploy to reshuffle the cabinet and kick out Tan Sri Muhyiddin for requesting PL to step down before 2010. We'll see...
    jajanjohorbahru

    ReplyDelete
  55. Anonymous12:03 pm

    SORRY ZAID IBRAHIM.............

    I EARLIER KUTUK YOU

    BUT NOW YOU ARE STICKING TO YOUR GUNS AND HAVE RESIGNED

    I SALUTE YOU

    SORRY FOR SWEARING AT U, ZAID IBRAHIM

    NOW I TABIK U

    ReplyDelete
  56. Anonymous4:27 pm

    Apakah ISA sebab sebenar Zaid Ibrahim berhenti? Zaid tidak bertanding bulan Mac. Ia di pelawa masuk ke kabinet. Zaid tidak popular di kawasannya sendiri, tidak di calonkan ke apa-apa jawatan dalam MT Umno. Malulah kalau menteri tak ada back-up dari orang sendiri. Itulah yang ambo dengar.
    countrybumpkin

    ReplyDelete
  57. Can someone confirm to me whether the Sin Chew reporter, Miss Tan is:
    a hard-core remnant of the 3rd batalion of Chin Peng's Sadao-based bintang tiga?;
    an underlink to the Taliban/Mujahideen freedom fighters’ caucus in Afghanistan?;
    a staunch supporter of Hizbollah in Beirut?;
    a special agent/mercenary who knows how to ignite C4 explosives at the back of her palms?;
    a dangerous black market arms dealer from the Kazakhstan mountains?;
    an underworld staunch disciple of Ayah Pin's sky kingdom? Anyone, please.

    ReplyDelete
  58. Anonymous7:59 am

    He knows : ISA = Insensible
    Stoopit
    Assault !!
    thanks, Mr., salute !! (heha)

    ReplyDelete
  59. Anonymous10:58 am

    My view:Zaid was put by Abdullah to justify judicial reform and Zaid was excited to carry out the actual reform but Abdullah another typical BN-Umnoputera was not sincere in reforming, he only put Zaid to please and bluff the rakyat and for show only that he was serious in reform but gave no power to Zaid to do his moral reform to our sickly judicial.I think Abdullah should be the one taking not only 2 weeks leave but a long leave and retire and spend his overdue honeymoon with Jeanne under the moonlight bay dreaming.Zaid should forge ahead with his real reform (no time waste, no leave for him)in judiciary to save Malaysia and all Malaysians from sinking in the hands of BN-Umno.Zaid, you are our rakyat Hero!You stand up for your rights and you correct the wrong to right.You are our King of Law.You have our 100% support for your moral cause to reform our Malaysian judiciary.Good job.A selfless act because you love Malaysia as much as we do.Fly the Malaysia flag upright and high in the sky to say we want Malaysia back on track, free from corruption, nepotism, oppression, intimidation,abuse of power, cronyism and racism.We want harmony, equality,econmomy progress, Malaysia multi-cultural and religious spirit and confidence in Malaysia.Zaid, you CAN DO IT!!
    Truly Malaysian.

    ReplyDelete