Zaid Ibrahim and his quest

Zaid Ibrahim can win if he can convert many to his cause. When two of his supporters asked me about the victor in PKR's race for number two, I said, Zaid will lose. This doesn't mean that Azmin is a better candidate.

Yesterday I wrote about the elusive quality of leadership called character. Azmin has displayed he hasn't got that. What he has is undivided personal support and devotion to Anwar Ibrahim. Anwar Ibrahim reciprocates in the same way.

Azmin can win because the majority will support him because of Anwar Ibrahim. PKR was kept alive all these years because of the memory and idea of an Anwar. The memory of an Anwar that ignited the imagination of many Malaysians. Progressive, modern and pro growth Anwar. The idea of an Anwar who symbolizes the ideals of liberal democracy, the administration of justice, rule of law etc. these two ideas kept the support for Anwar and made PKR.

These ideas attracted many diverse people to PKR according to their levels of understanding. They don't necessarily agree with each other but they have learnt to stay together cemented by the two ideas. The group that will prevail are those who shared these ideals and are willing to subvert personal interests in favor of the ideals.

Somehow Zaid doesn't fit into the scheme of things. Zaid is a highly independent minded individual finding himself in a setting, where he finds he can't have his ways all the time. It takes all kind of people to be in PKR as with other parties. In such a situation, it's the art of living with and making compromises that count more than the weight of personal ideals. Zaid is a man full of personal ideals. He talks and lives them. but the more important question, are these shared by a sufficient mass in PKR than can give him a win.

I am not confident that he has the numbers. We love lovable gadflies and mavericks. These however do not translate into political substance sufficient in turn to give power to Zaid.