Zaid Ibrahim sees Anwar-Zahid in a bond forged in the fires of mutual survival

 

WHEN former UMNO Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin suggested that trust between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has hit a breaking point, former Law Minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim stepped in to push back on that narrative.

Viewing Malaysian  politics through a veteran lens, Zaid sees a bond not only intact but also forged in the fires of mutual political survival.

Reflecting on Khairy’s claims, Zaid remarked: “Khairy says the trust between Zahid and Anwar is at the lowest level. I see no evidence of that. Maybe Khairy can elaborate.”

To prove his point, Zaid pointed out how far both leaders have consistently gone to safeguard each other’s interests when it mattered most.

When Anwar found himself short of a parliamentary majority following the general election, it was Zahid who stepped up, delivering Barisan Nasional’s critical backing to seal the deal.

When Zahid faced legal troubles, his eventual discharge not amounting to an acquittal signalled an undeniable alignment at the highest levels of governance.

Even when the addendum regarding former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s pardon went missing – a moment where the command of the Raja Melayu was ignored for the first time in history – the partnership didn’t break. As Zaid noted, “the relationship between the two went well, as if nothing happened.”

In a scene once thought impossible, DAP leaders were welcomed into Dewan Merdeka – UMNO’s sacred hall. Rather than causing friction, the historic event passed smoothly, showing the power both leaders yield when steering their respective bases.

From unanimous Cabinet approvals on sensitive matters – such as the Tabung Haji RCI report – to managing state assembly dissolutions in Negeri Sembilan without the acrimony seen in earlier state elections, their joint machinery has consistently delivered.

What political commentators misread as “boiling mistrust“, Zaid frames as the temporary disappointment inherent to any competitive game.

As he puts it, “So when did the trust recede? Perhaps amongst friends, the word is disappointment. When we play games, the loser will always be disappointed. But the trust among the best of friends will always be there. There are, after all, many more games to be played.”

Ultimately, Zaid emphasises that in this high-stakes environment, today’s setback is merely a setup for tomorrow’s manoeuvre, noting that “in this political game, the loser may end up the winner.”

Far from reaching a breaking point, he concludes that Anwar and Zahid remain virtually inseparable. —  Focus Malaysia