"The sharpest criticism often goes hand in hand with the deepest idealism and love of country." - Robert F Kennedy
INTERVIEW If former de facto law minister Zaid Ibrahim has fallen from Pakatan Rakyat grace, he has taken his principles with him.
There are many within Pakatan who consign him to the same category as the numerous frogs who have jumped ship. This is wrong in so many levels but is indicative of the vicious nature of partisan politics. You are either with us or against us, and any criticism is viewed as enemy action.
Right-thinking Malaysians would realise that the clearly articulated politics of Zaid Ibrahim is the same as that of Pakatan's. The accusations thrown at Zaid, that of being too ambitious and unwilling to wait in line for political power is well-documented.Obviously for a man like Zaid, by any means necessary is not weapon in his arsenal. A more cunning political animal would have waited patiently eliminating unlucky prey along the way hungrily waiting for the right moment to strike.
He gambled and lost in the high stakes of Pakatan politics and his post-Pakatan political forays saw him at odds with the Pakatan status quo and slowly but surely the perception of Zaid became the caricature that Pakatan partisans bestow upon those who have left the fold.
Zaid, of course, played a part in this but with the general election looming, the battlefield is going to be filled with charlatans, opportunists and fortune seekers and it is in this crucial moment that a party willing to field a principled candidate like Zaid could ensure that the principles they like to talk about translates into action.
The following is the first of my two-part interview with Zaid:
Are you seeking elected office?
Am I seeking an elected office? Most definitely not. I am still in politics just to say my piece about where we have gone wrong and the right path to take. If I can open the eyes and minds of some people, then I have succeeded.
Why do you intend to stand for election in Pekan?
My statement on Pekan is in relation to the news that (Abdul) Hadi (Awang) will be the candidate. I don't think a PAS president should be put to such risk. There is no need for such gung-ho approach. He needs to win. My offer was made in the context that if no one credible is available then I am prepared.
Could you describe the circumstances leading to your resigning as minister in the Prime Minister's Department and your suspension and subsequent dropping of your name from Umno's 2008 election list of candidates?
My decision to leave the cabinet was because it was untenable for me to support the decision of the government to detain (DAP leader) Teresa Kok (left), (blogger) Raja Petra Kamarudin and another newspaper girl (Sin Chew Dailyreporter Tan Hoon Cheng) under the ISA.
I came in ostensibly to reform the judiciary and the draconian laws. I could not defend such an action. So I left. By the way, I had no idea why I was dropped as a candidate in 2008; except that the person who took my place was the current PM's political secretary.
You accused (PKR deputy president) Azmin Ali of election impropriety in the PKR internal elections. Has your view changed on the internal electoral mechanism of PKR?
I have no inkling as to the state of the PKR election machinery now. Secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution is an able person so he must have rectified the mess.
You had a very public mea culpa moment with (PKR adviser) Anwar Ibrahim. What was your motivation behind the reconciliation attempt?
I had a brief quarrel with Anwar. He called me a Trojan horse and I called him a liar. But I am not small-minded and petty. I believe in the role of a strong opposition, otherwise the ‘cowboy' ministers will ruin the country.
Anwar is key to the success of the opposition. It's not difficult then to continue to be supportive of the opposition. This is from my side.
The opposition leaders from Pakatan however have not been that "excited" about reconciling with me. None of the top leaders have responded to my calls. It's understandable when they are all busy trying to capture Putrajaya.
What is the most important lesson you learned when you were part of the Umno machine? And what is the most important lesson you learned when you part of the Pakatan machine?
The thing I learned in Umno is that change is impossible when personal interest become indistinguishable from national interest. The most important thing I learned in Pakatan is Anwar is indispensable to them; and so they have to win when he is around.
If Anwar were indispensable to Pakatan and bearing in mind that he has said that he would step down if Pakatan does not make it to Putrajaya in this GE, do you think that there is enough of a movement in Pakatan to cultivate possible candidates to assume the mantle of leadership?
If Pakatan fails in the next GE then Anwar has to step down as he rightly said himself. Pakatan has to find a leader who is younger; and who can really bring new political ideas to the people.
He or she has to be brave to chart a new future of the country. The politics of the possible has to take a back seat. It has to be a leader who can really unite and build the trust of all groups in the country. There are some young leaders in Pakatan who can be nurtured to take the lead.
People who vote Pakatan have trust issues when it comes to Zaid Ibrahim. How do you go about regaining that trust?
I am surprised to know that I have ‘trust' issues amongst the people who will vote Pakatan. I always thought if there is a scale that we can measure integrity, honesty and commitment to worthy principles, I would rate highly.
What sort of leader can we trust? Surely someone who has proven by his actions to defend the rule of law and the rights of the people. I have done that. I have given up my job for that principle.
I have had no scandals, no impropriety of any kind. I have been consistent in my speeches and in my writings about what I believe in. I believe in a secular democracy, in equality and freedom of all Malaysians. I never fudge on these issues. So on what score was I untrustworthy?
I know Anwar described me as a Trojan horse when we had difficulties during the PKR election. And maybe that's why his followers still don't trust me. But I forgive him. No one leaves the cabinet just to be a Trojan horse surely.
Which is more important - gaining the trust of Pakatan or gaining the trust of the people, even though in this highly partisan atmosphere the two may not be mutually exclusive?
The only thing that matters is to do what's right for the people. Today Malaysian political environment is highly partisan and divided. It's difficult to represent or say the real stuff without being seen as supporting the other side.
When I praised (PM) Najib (Razak) for repealing the ISA and the Emergency Ordinance, I was branded an opposition turncoat. Those countless things I have said and done supporting the opposition ideas are forgotten. So it's not easy to gain trust among the unthinking.
As one of the few Umno members who have demonstrated a commitment to principle, do you think you have been judged fairly in your subsequent political actions?
I have been judged unfairly, and that's because there has been so many "defections and betrayals" since 2008 that the people cannot tell the difference between a genuine freedom fighter from the turncoats.
The political climate is so charged. Political lies are everywhere, coming from both sides; that they no longer are interested to know what is true. But I always believe the truth will prevail one day; and there is no need to feel sorry about what has happened.
My decision to leave the cabinet was because it was untenable for me to support the decision of the government to detain (DAP leader) Teresa Kok (left), (blogger) Raja Petra Kamarudin and another newspaper girl (Sin Chew Dailyreporter Tan Hoon Cheng) under the ISA.I came in ostensibly to reform the judiciary and the draconian laws. I could not defend such an action. So I left. By the way, I had no idea why I was dropped as a candidate in 2008; except that the person who took my place was the current PM's political secretary.
You accused (PKR deputy president) Azmin Ali of election impropriety in the PKR internal elections. Has your view changed on the internal electoral mechanism of PKR?
I have no inkling as to the state of the PKR election machinery now. Secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution is an able person so he must have rectified the mess.
You had a very public mea culpa moment with (PKR adviser) Anwar Ibrahim. What was your motivation behind the reconciliation attempt?
I had a brief quarrel with Anwar. He called me a Trojan horse and I called him a liar. But I am not small-minded and petty. I believe in the role of a strong opposition, otherwise the ‘cowboy' ministers will ruin the country.
Anwar is key to the success of the opposition. It's not difficult then to continue to be supportive of the opposition. This is from my side.
The opposition leaders from Pakatan however have not been that "excited" about reconciling with me. None of the top leaders have responded to my calls. It's understandable when they are all busy trying to capture Putrajaya.
What is the most important lesson you learned when you were part of the Umno machine? And what is the most important lesson you learned when you part of the Pakatan machine?
The thing I learned in Umno is that change is impossible when personal interest become indistinguishable from national interest. The most important thing I learned in Pakatan is Anwar is indispensable to them; and so they have to win when he is around.
If Anwar were indispensable to Pakatan and bearing in mind that he has said that he would step down if Pakatan does not make it to Putrajaya in this GE, do you think that there is enough of a movement in Pakatan to cultivate possible candidates to assume the mantle of leadership?
If Pakatan fails in the next GE then Anwar has to step down as he rightly said himself. Pakatan has to find a leader who is younger; and who can really bring new political ideas to the people.He or she has to be brave to chart a new future of the country. The politics of the possible has to take a back seat. It has to be a leader who can really unite and build the trust of all groups in the country. There are some young leaders in Pakatan who can be nurtured to take the lead.
People who vote Pakatan have trust issues when it comes to Zaid Ibrahim. How do you go about regaining that trust?
I am surprised to know that I have ‘trust' issues amongst the people who will vote Pakatan. I always thought if there is a scale that we can measure integrity, honesty and commitment to worthy principles, I would rate highly.
What sort of leader can we trust? Surely someone who has proven by his actions to defend the rule of law and the rights of the people. I have done that. I have given up my job for that principle.
I have had no scandals, no impropriety of any kind. I have been consistent in my speeches and in my writings about what I believe in. I believe in a secular democracy, in equality and freedom of all Malaysians. I never fudge on these issues. So on what score was I untrustworthy?
I know Anwar described me as a Trojan horse when we had difficulties during the PKR election. And maybe that's why his followers still don't trust me. But I forgive him. No one leaves the cabinet just to be a Trojan horse surely.
Which is more important - gaining the trust of Pakatan or gaining the trust of the people, even though in this highly partisan atmosphere the two may not be mutually exclusive?
The only thing that matters is to do what's right for the people. Today Malaysian political environment is highly partisan and divided. It's difficult to represent or say the real stuff without being seen as supporting the other side.When I praised (PM) Najib (Razak) for repealing the ISA and the Emergency Ordinance, I was branded an opposition turncoat. Those countless things I have said and done supporting the opposition ideas are forgotten. So it's not easy to gain trust among the unthinking.
As one of the few Umno members who have demonstrated a commitment to principle, do you think you have been judged fairly in your subsequent political actions?
I have been judged unfairly, and that's because there has been so many "defections and betrayals" since 2008 that the people cannot tell the difference between a genuine freedom fighter from the turncoats.
The political climate is so charged. Political lies are everywhere, coming from both sides; that they no longer are interested to know what is true. But I always believe the truth will prevail one day; and there is no need to feel sorry about what has happened.
S THAYAPARAN is Commander (rtd) of the Royal Malaysian Navy.
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