Zaid to critics: Call EGM and sack me

The Kita boss shrugs off recent attacks against him as “trivial” and thinks the party’s image is intact

PETALING JAYA: Kita chief Zaid Ibrahim has finally responded to allegations that he is tyrannical and that he flouts party protocol, dismissing them as “trivial” and “untrue”.

A number of party leaders and ordinary members have been hammering him for more than a week for his recent controversial and solitary decisions, but in an interview with FMT Zaid refused to make a counter attack or defend himself with a vigour that would match theirs.

He invited his critics to back their accusations with proof and even suggested that they call an emergency general meeting to make good their threat to oust him.

Zaid began courting internal dissent when he sacked central secretary Abdul Latif Thambi, treasurer Rashid Azad Khan and central executive committee member Muhammad Firdaus Christopher.

Latif strongly protested his sacking, which he said was punishment for his refusal to disclose the password to the party’s website.

“Does it make sense for me to sack someone over a password?” Zaid said. “If I think the person is good for the party, why would I sack him?

“I’ve spent a lot of time and effort building this party; so I will not allow anyone to sabotage or hamper its progress. I have my reasons for doing things. And whether the issue is trivial or not is my decision because I’m the boss.

“When a secretary and a boss cannot see eye to eye, one of them has to go.”

Zaid said Latif was merely an administrator and not a political ally or the “centre of political decision-making” that he imagined himself to be.

Firdaus has been steadily attacking Zaid on Facebook and Twitter since Zaid stopped paying his salary three months ago.

Zaid denied Firdaus’s allegation that he had financial difficulties.

“We stopped paying his salary because the party has very little money,” Zaid explained. “I don’t have financial difficulties, but I don’t have a lot of money either.

“It was the same situation with Rashid, but he took it well. I told Rashid the situation we were in and suggested that he find another job to supplement his income, which he did. That’s what Firdaus should have done, but he will never get a job now because people have seen his nasty streak.”

Asked why he had kept silent for so long in the face of Firdaus’s allegations, Zaid said he was giving him time to blow off steam and was hoping that he would “come to his senses” soon enough for a proper conversation.

However, he said, Firdaus went too far when he began undermining Kita in an attempt to cast him in a bad light.

“But he won’t succeed because people with sense will know what he’s all about,” Zaid said. “And I’m not concerned with whatever he says anymore because he has not succeeded in doing any damage to the party or to me. Anyone who has worked with me before knows I’m not like that.

“But I’m not angry over the situation. What else can you do but move on? The more popular you are, the more people want to attack you so that they too can get in the news.”

Third force

Zaid’s easygoing tone turned slightly to exasperation when the subjects of his apology to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his decision for the Kita Democracy Roadshow came up.

He said he had apologised to Najib for doubting his political will to make reforms and he had announced the roadshow to garner support for the reform pledges.

Both these moves drew shock and ire from party leaders, who protested that they were not consulted or even informed. They said the apology and the roadshow conflicted with Kita’s position as a third force.

“There is no problem with my apology because it was made in a personal capacity over another statement that I made before Kita even existed,” Zaid said. “I’m not bowing to anyone. I just said that I was wrong in my assessment of Najib.

“When the party leaders make public statements, do I tell them what to say or reprimand them? So why should they do so when I say something? They should have more respect for their leader.”

Zaid justified his decision to hold a roadshow by clarifying that Kita was supporting what it felt was a right move by Najib and what he himself had long been fighting for.

“What’s wrong with that? What do you want me to do? Support Anwar Ibrahim, and then everything is okay? I’m not embarrassed by the roadshow, and I think opposition leaders should support Najib on this issue.”