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Thursday 7 October 2010

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.

9 comments:

Anonymous,  7 October 2010 at 11:14  

Dato'

I do agree with your take on Datuk Zaid's chance but I will still pray for a miracle to happen.

Don't discount the power of the ordinary truth seeking and responsible PKR members.

PKR needs a visionary leader to lead beyond DS Anwar Ibrahim.

Anonymous,  7 October 2010 at 11:32  

Dato',
UMNO doesn't want him and it looks like PKR will give the same booting.
He is good as an NGI and not for any political parties.
The way it goes if he wants to have things according to his whims and fancies, it is best for him " pergi main jauh jauh la, orang Melayu cakap."
Just cannot imagine you as an UMNO guy attending DAP function!!! Hopefully UMNO will not take him back and leave him alone with PKR. Biar PKR penin kepala. hehehe!
Baik jadi macam Pak Braheng Ali!!! but bet you he has no quality to be like that PERKASA head.Braheng talks all the time, day nite rain or sun shine but Zahid only talk sometimes as he needs to build up his special time, he needs the primer... you know what what ma..... tanya sama itu hud hud bah....
So he will not win!

Berita dari gunung 7 October 2010 at 13:15  

Yes, Zaid will not fit in PKR setup or any other party for that matter. If he gets number one slot, then that will be a different matter.

Anonymous,  7 October 2010 at 13:47  

Yes, Zaid will lose. That's not good for PKR. Middle of the road Malaysians will get pissed off with PKR in the next GE.

HAKIMAN,  7 October 2010 at 21:09  

The Malays in PKR are former UMNO-Rejects.

PKR is still carrying all the old UMNO baggage of political intrigues and easily swayed for betrayals. This raises the question: Can Malays be trusted politically. The latest is Anwar's ex-close associate Rahimi. Then there was Ezam, and those PKR frogs. And of course, the betrayals in UMNO. The yet-to-be expose is how Muhyiddin will betray Najib's trust in him as his deputy.

PKR's salvation lies with Zaid, not with Azmin or Anwar.

Quiet Despair,  7 October 2010 at 21:35  

Zaid is one big joke. Hahaha.
Now he wants to give way to Nurul Izzah to contest the number two post.
So what now? Go for number one?
That's all his gimmick. He knows he cannot win in whatever capacity.
My bet is he will go back to UMNO.
Will say he wants to help in Najib's transformation programme.
Hope Najib won't let Mr Trouble in.
Can man be called a witch?
I will call him a witch. He has a broom to sweep PKR people.
Already going aroud criticising this and that in the party.
But has he got the potion to win?
No siree.
Such a desperado that he even accepted an interview with Utusan.
It's that very paper who plays on his backside.
Tsk,tsk pathetic.

HAKIMAN,  7 October 2010 at 22:14  

My bet is he (Zaid) will go back to UMNO. - Quiet Despair

Now THAT is a joke!!

Anonymous,  7 October 2010 at 23:34  

Ziad's biggest mistake... to defy Party orders to boycott Utusan.

It shows he cannot be a leader. He forgot when he does this, those under him can also. Discipline will break down and destroy a party. So my opinion is, he has lost it.... for good.

I doubt he can last long in PKR.
Many will interpret his latest actions as arrogant rather than principle as he tried to portray to be.

Anonymous,  11 October 2010 at 16:33  

Seems like many people are interested in Zaid's candidature in PKR.

UMNO people don't like him and will work with PKR people to stop him.

UMNO people will be very comfortable with Azmin.

Being a politician with newer ideas, perhaps Zaid should have skipped this election. That he didn' raised speculations valid and invalid.

If Zaid has any plans for PKR, he's holding them close to the chest. But as PKR is a transition station between reforms minded UMNO people and the opposition, there will be more problems, some good some bad. The bad ones will weigh down PKR and this could be what some of the things Zaid and other senior PKR people are aprehensive about.

Perhaps some of the good things out of this PKR election might not be immidiately apparent for Malaysia in the longer term.

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