My views on Zahrain’s statement re Zaid Ibrahim and RPK

Please recall that RPK is being hunted down like a fugitive precisely because he has revealed links between the murder of Altantuya and the PM (and also his wife). So, Zahrain prefers to rub shoulders with the man who is tainted with murder rather than the man who blew the whistle?

By Jonson Chong, Pengarah Komunikasi / Communications Director
PARTI KEADILAN RAKYAT

I am both bemused and disturbed by what I read in your esteemed online news portal. Indeed, I find a similar story on two other online news portals. I am referring to what my former KEADILAN colleague, Zahrain Hashim, said about Zaid Ibrahim’s links with Raja Petra Kamarudin (aka RPK), the “fugitive” political blogger (to me, he’s the victim of political persecution because of his outspoken views).

Firstly, I find it completely ironic that someone of Zahrain’s standing (he is, after all, a Member of Parliament) could say such a ridiculous thing. What is he really trying to say? That KEADILAN or Zaid Ibrahim is funding a fugitive? That somehow some opposition people are aiding and abetting RPK?

Zaid has openly (and proudly, I think) admitted that he is a friend of RPK’s. So is Anwar Ibrahim. Indeed, so am I. Is it a crime to be friends with someone who is being persecuted by an undemocratic and repressive government (who is trying to paint that someone as a fugitive on the run)?

Secondly, what Zahrain is saying becomes even more ironic when he is widely known to be galavanting with Umno people, not to mention accompanying Prime Minister Najib on international trips. Mind you, please recall that RPK is being hunted down like a fugitive precisely because he has revealed links between the murder of Altantuya and the PM (and also his wife). So, Zahrain prefers to rub shoulders with the man who is tainted with murder rather than the man who blew the whistle?

Thirdly, I must admit that Zahrain made a very good suggestion; i.e. for the MACC to investigate who is funding the private investigator P. Balasubramaniam.  

I agree that the MACC really should investigate who funds P. Balasubramaniam and how he can afford to fly to and stay in London. Coincidentally, I read a statement by Bala’s lawyer, Americk Sidhu, who had this to say:

I have instructions from my client to say that he fully supports the suggestion made by Datuk Zahrain for the simple reason the money he is using to pay for his trip to London and his hotel accommodation there is derived from the funds he has received from Deepak Jaikishan at the behest of Rosmah Mansor, who ultimately and unwittingly, is his sponsor.

Yes, MACC, please do take up Zahrain’s suggestion and investigate Deepak Jaikishan and tell us if there is any truth to the above.

However, regarding the suggestion to investigate RPK’s funder, I must say Zahrain made a boo-boo yet again. If I am not mistaken, the courts have thrown out the cases against RPK and, at this moment, there is no actual efforts by the government to bring RPK back to Malaysia to face any legal action. Thus, strictly speaking, he is neither a fugitive nor a criminal. On the contrary, he is a political critic and a social activist who is on self-imposed exile. Is it a crime to contribute some money to a courageous man who dares to speak up so that his fellow Malaysians know what is going on in our own country?

For reasons stated above, I am bemused. Now, why am I disturbed? 

First, I see something very wrong with this picture, especially when a so-called independent law-maker is dabbling into petty and gutter politics (this is not Zahrain’s first time). Zahrain claims that he left KEADILAN because he has lost faith in the Party and wants to serve the people better. Well, how does “exposing” Zaid or KEADILAN serve the people here? Does the people of Bayan Baru, or Malaysia for that matter, benefit from this so-called exposé?

Second, Zahrain is neither the leader of any political party nor supposed to be aligned to any political coalition. As an independent and upright politician, should he not be interested to hear RPK’s side of the story? Why then is he kicking up a fuss when certain KEADILAN leaders are in touch with RPK?

Last but not least, I would like to remind Zahrain and my other former colleagues out there, if their reasons for leaving KEADILAN were sincere, then do your jobs as legislators and stop mucking around with petty politics. The people want to see the politicians getting on with the job of governing, creating good policies, introducing better laws, and so forth; not more politicking, horse-trading and saber-rattling.