Datuk Zaid Ibrahim it was time for the country to ‘start all over again’ with a radical political realignment that would put an end to the troubles plaguing both the administration and the federal opposition front. ― File picKUALA LUMPUR, June 10 ― Datuk Zaid Ibrahim suggested today that PKR, DAP and the PAS's ousted leaders band together with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and other Barisan Nasional leaders currently disillusioned with the current leadership under a “new Pakatan”.
The former Umno minister said it was time for the country to “start all over again” with a radical political realignment, one that would put an end to the troubles plaguing both the administration and the federal opposition front.
“Mat Sabu and friends who joined PAS because they wanted an Islamic Renaissance can form a new political party,” Zaid suggested in a blog post today, referring to PAS's former deputy president Mohamad Sabu, a known progressive leader who was voted out of the post during the party's elections last week.
“This new political party can then collaborate with DAP, PKR, (under the new Pakatan) and together with Dr Mahathir, and Tan Sri Muhiyuddin (Yassin) and whoever else is genuinely interested to form a grand alliance.
“Old prejudices and fears of one another must give way to hope and trust for the sake of the people. This is the time of the season when things can turn for the better,” he added.
DAP's Lim Kit Siang, he said, needs to better explain his Malaysian Dream concept to Malaysians and state specifically what sort of government the country can hope to have under such an ideal.
Lim would also need a Malay group to support this dream, Zaid added, predicting that failing which, the ideal may fail because “Malays are still afraid of the Chinese”.
“Kit Siang has done much for the DAP in his many years in politics; but taking DAP to be accepted by the Malays is the ultimate prize.
“He can’t do this without a Malay leader of stature like Tun M,” Zaid said in urging Lim to approach Dr Mahathir for the formation of a new pact.
In the meantime, Zaid said PKR's jailed leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim should be magnanimous enough to start telling his younger leaders to chart a new course for the country.
The goal of seeking justice for Anwar, who is now serving a five-year prison sentence for sodomy, should not be PKR's all-consuming purpose, Zaid added, and the party should consider recruiting some of the Malays who were ousted from PAS during last week's poll.
“He should be decisive and not allow PAS under (PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul) Hadi (Awang) to spoil the Malaysian dream, if indeed has feels strongly about the future of the country. He should support DAP wholeheartedly,” Zaid said.
During the PAS election, the party's conservative faction, the ulama, trounced party progressives in a near-total takeover, winning 22 out of the 23 posts open for contest in the Islamist party’s central working committee.
The party also approved a motion to stay in Pakatan Rakyat but cut ties with DAP without debate, although secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali insisted later that this still needs the endorsement of its advisory Syura Council.
The decision was an escalation of the hostilities between the two parties that traces back to last year’s Selangor mentri besar crisis, but is largely rooted in the fundamental differences between the Islamist PAS and secular DAP, particularly over issues like hudud.
Since the election, DAP leaders have been challenging their PAS colleagues in the Penang and Selangor administrations to relinquish their posts and leave the government. PKR, on the other hand, has offered to act as mediator between the two warring parties, saying it is necessary to keep the PR pact intact.
Zaid, however, said PKR should be willing to abandon PAS in Selangor and stay loyal to the DAP.
“They (PKR) must be willing to test the democratic principle of governing by the will of the people.
“As it is, I do not see PKR showing any leadership in the Pakatan’s current internal problems, and they have said nothing about the increasingly strong possibility of PAS working with Umno,” he said.
He PAS's progressive leaders like Mat Sabu and ousted former information chief Datuk Mahfuz Omar among others to form a new party, telling the leaders that they should know by now that their party's ulama faction “do not want a good government”.
“It’s about time these leaders chart a new course for the country. This powerful grouping will give an opportunity for Malaysia to move forward again.
“Nothing short of radical realignment in our politics can change our country stuck in the archaic politics of control and hegemony,” Zaid said.
Good idea with KU Li as PM
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