Cheers—and a few jeers—for Kita

Some pundits welcome Zaid Ibrahim’s new party, but Kayveas pours some cold water.

PETALING JAYA: Several civil society leaders and politicians have welcomed the emergence of Kita, the political party launched this morning by former PKR leader Zaid Ibrahim.

They are pleased to note that it has a secular character, is concerned with good governance and is apparently committed to fighting for the rights of those sections of Malaysian society perceived to be marginalised.

“I agree with the thesis that Malaysian politics is too focused on government instead of governance,” said KJ John, chairman of the Oriental Hearts & Minds Society Initiative.

“There is also a need for a new perception of a secular world view.”

John was also enthusiastic about the party’s logo, which shows two joined hands morphed into the map of Malaysia. He said it was a “smart move” to show inclusivity between Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah and Sarawak.

Francis Paul Siah, who heads the Movement for Change, Sarawak (MoCS), also acknowledged the inclusiveness factor.

“It is the first political party that places importance on Sabah and Sarawak,” he said. “Any party that wishes to rule Malaysia must never leave out Sabah and Sarawak.”

He said Kita would create an impact in the East Malaysian states and pledged that MoCS would support it.

The Indian Justice Party, which is yet to be registered, also welcomed Malaysia’s newest political party.

Its protem president, P Jenapala, said his party, along with other small parties, “would join hands with Kita to create an impact soon”.

Rebel PKR leader N Gobalakrishnan also had kind words for Kita. “The party can make inroads; the people will receive it,” he said, adding that he was “worried, as a Pakatan Rakyat man”.

He expressed confidence that Malaysian Indians would welcome Zaid’s plans to create land development programmes similar to Felda and Felcra for the community.

People’s Progressive Party president M Kayveas, however, expressed doubts about Kita’s future, saying Zaid had shown a lack of commitment to principles by jumping from Umno to PKR and then leaving the opposition party to form another.

Kayveas, a former deputy minister, said he attended the launch in his capacity as a political analyst.

“He is still muddled up,” he said of Zaid.

“I think he is still stuck. He is not coming out of it. I expect Kita to come out of the present political cage that we currently are in but I see he is still stuck. He started off well, but you can see he is caught in the same net of ‘back to my race and my religion, your race your religion’.”

He said he doubted that the Election Commission would approve Kita’s logo. - FMT