Is it Parti KITA, or Parti KITAR?

Yesterday, Zaid Ibrahim announced that Nibong Tebal MP Tan Tee Beng, who, on 1st March, last year, resigned from PKR and declared himself an independent MP, had joined Zaid’s party.

FreeMalaysiaToday reported that, at a press conference, Zaid said that “he was glad that Kita was able to attract young leaders into its fold despite being a fledgling political outfit”.

“It is a bold move by Tan to join us as he believes Kita is the party of the future”,Zaid is reported to have said.

It was further reported that when asked if Tee Beng’s joining his party may earn the MP the label ‘political frog’, Zaid responded by saying that ‘not everyone should be labeled as such’ and that ‘leaving a party based on principles as opposed to trivial reasons was different’.

Zaid, therefore, was suggesting that Tee Beng had walked out of PKR last year based on principles and for no other reason.

Interesting.

Interesting when you take on board what Zaid had to say last year about Tee Beng’s exiting PKR to declare himself an independent MP.

“They are not independent, they are independent in name only. They will eventually support Barisan National. Look at the Perak frogs. Obviously the independent MPs will become Barisan-friendly, why else would they leave Pakatan?” , Malaysianinsiderreported Zaid as saying the day after Tee Beng declared himself an independent MP.

The next day, 3rd March, Mohsin of Bagan Serai became the third PKR MP last year to walk out on the party and declare himself an independent MP.

On 4th March, Malaysianinsider reported Zaid as saying, in reference to the defection by the three : “We have enough evidence to show that this was something that was orchestrated some months back. The approaches… the inducements… the meetings… it all happened a while ago. However it is very difficult to obtain hard evidence on the matter but we have enough information about these meetings and offers. It is hard for us to act on it because then we might be too hasty…These people are only riding on PKR’s popularity to win their MP positions”, and added that the excuses given by the three MPs for the reasons behind their departures were merely “made up” and that the party did not need such “weak” leaders to champion its cause or leaders who could easily sacrifice the party’s struggles for the sake of an incentive offered by the enemy.

On 5th March, Malaysianinsider reported that Zaid categorically said that PKR had proof that the three MP who had defected, including Tee Beng, had been “bought over” by the BN.

And then Zaid made this promise.

“We promise that in the next round, our candidates will be better. The vetting process will be more strict and we will select only those who are truly there for the purpose of upholding justice and protecting the interests of the people — not those who have no interest in their jobs”.

I understand this promise to mean that candidates offered would be better than the likes of Tee Beng.

Zaid, today, it would seem, has a completely different perception of Tee Beng.

Parti KITA or Parti KITAR, could someone please pass the word on to Zaid that some rubbish are simply beyond rehabilitation, and not fit to be recycled, and ought not to be inflicted upon the rakyat? -The People's Parliament