Zaid to quit on Dec 16 in mockery of Sept 16

By Syed Jaymal Zahiid
VIDEO INSIDE PETALING JAYA: PKR maverick Zaid Ibrahim will officially quit his party on Dec 16, in a move to mock the failed Sept 16 "coup" engineered by supremo Anwar Ibrahim.
The resignation letter effective on the stated date was submitted to the party headquarters this morning.

"If Anwar loves Sept 16, I, on the other hand, love Dec 16," Zaid said in jest to a packed press conference at his house here.
He said the formation of a new party was also in the pipeline, but this would depend on the support he would receive after he formally quit PKR.

The former law minister is quitting from the party after a disastrous fallout with PKR's top leadership.
Zaid, once hailed as a possible successor to Anwar, claimed irregularities in the ongoing party polls where he had contested for the deputy president's post against vice-president Azmin Ali, who is said to be favoured by Anwar.


The former PKR Federal Territories chief subsequently resigned from all party posts after withdrawing half way from the race. He claimed that the so-called “Anwar-Azmin cartel” had engineered malpractices in a concerted effort to undermine his chances.

The party's top echelons, however, flayed Zaid as a "Trojan Horse" sent by Umno to sabotage the party. He is also chastised as a "sore loser" who received special privileges but turned his back on PKR when things were not going his way.

PKR thrives on politics of spin
But not the one to take a punch hands down, Zaid said the accusations were typical of PKR which “thrives on politics of spin and defamation”.


He claimed the leaders were suffering from an inferiority complex, and thus needed to discredit others for their political survival.
Upon hearing his announcement to quit, Anwar merely gave a cold response, saying "Zaid can go".

"They said my popularity will be impaired if I fight against Anwar in the party and I realised this. But popularity was never my primary consideration for joining the party.

"I am sure that they are happy (now) because Anwar said that Zaid can go. (PKR deputy president) Syed Husin (Ali) and Azmin are surely happy," Zaid quipped in response to Anwar.

"I joined PKR along with my children and became a life-time member, paid the high fee, because at that time I thought that this was the party which fought for the truth, which practised transparency; a new hope for the people.

"I''m truly disappointed by the accusations. I have not formed a new party nor had I plan anything prior to this. I am a PKR coordinator although Anwar said I was never a coordinator. No problem ... coordinator or clerk, it''s okay."

His intention to quit triggered talks of a possible cooperation with a political "third force", but Zaid denied the speculation, saying he would focus on his original struggle which is not far off from the opposition.

"I will continue to struggle for truth but without a party that is rife with problems. I will always be friendly to the opposition," said Zaid, adding that he was gearing up for snap polls which may be called in the first half of next year.

He said should support for him grow, he would consider starting up a new party that would work closely with Pakatan Rakyat in a relationship based on issues.

"After this, I plan to see my supporters nationwide. If we have the resources and support we will form the new party... I want it to be a party that is democratic, less problematic and one that truly represents the people''s interests," he said.

However, Zaid, once a Kota Baru MP, said if the idea of setting up a new party did not work, he would contest as an independent candidate.

"People say politics is a lonely business so I will need friends.”

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One of the surprising facts about the PKR's deputy presidential race is the anti-Azmin undercurrent within the party, judging from the votes Zaid received despite being relatively new in the 10-year-old party.

Although Azmin led with a whopping majority in the ongoing direct elections, support for Zaid was significant. Hence, some observers said his exit could dent Pakatan's appeal among certain segment of the electorate.

How far this is true remains to be seen. But analysts agreed that the ongoing war between Zaid and PKR has tarnished Pakatan's image among the voters, particularly the fence-sitters who form a considerable chunk of the electorate.

Zaid played humble when asked about this: "I am not Anwar Ibrahim.”