Zaid Ibrahim for Kota Bharu- Killing with a Borrowed Knife

One interesting piece of news I read was the declaration by the president of Parti KITA, Zaid Ibrahim. He says he wants to contest in Kota Bharu.  Zaid is a native of KB and in fact served as its MP from 2004-2008.  He has a foundation there, committed to welfare work and of helping people.

Why can’t Zaid be considered as candidate material?  PAS needs a face to represent its inclusiveness. Zaid is eminently qualified to play that role. It’s not like having Zaid contest on PAS ticket will lead to the destruction of the jealously guarded founding and operating principles of PAS. PAS can in fact employ Zaid to destroy UMNO. It’s called killing off you enemy with a borrowed knife. Zaid isn’t of the same quality as Ibrahim Ali for example.

Zaid can win in KB if PAS supports him. It’s more important to defeat the UMNO candidate, Fatmi Salleh. Kelantanese should not even surrender an inch to UMNO and BN in the next elections. Mustapha Mohamad is only building castles in the air when he declared that UMNO can retake 28 state seats in Kelantan.

I implore the Kelantanese people, take the RM 500 BR1M- but never forget that it’s UMNO which has victimized and denied Kelantan from getting oil royalty. Translate this stand in the next elections by kicking out all the UMNO candidates including Mustapha Mohamad. Tok Pa isn’t the only person in Malaysia who can work hard. Mustapha Mohamad has been giving money to Kelantanese voters for years on end. That’s daylight bribing. If Mustapha is so pristine, why pay voters?

Back to Zaid Ibrahim. His declared intention has been met with some opposition. The current MP is from PAS and the incumbent says he is not worried about it. The more virulent opposition came from the self-declared KITA president- one Zamil Ibrahim. His outbursts however can be dismissed as one who has some personal issues with Zaid Ibrahim.

Let’s say something about KITA. What surprises most observers is the interest that UMNO shows in KITA. The MSM, TV and other media instruments were quick to expand and gloss over the internal troubles of KITA. Why was UMNO so perturbed and so interested in KITA?

At a recent meeting of the KITA office bearers, the majority of them are behind Zaid Ibrahim. So as far as the party constitution says, Zaid Ibrahim is still the president of KITA. Zamil Ibrahim and his supporters have used the ROS to advance their cause. But I think the ROS’s functions are to ensure all the technicalities concerning the administration of an organization which are under the purview of ROS are followed. It doesn’t include actually running a political party. The party has its constitution. The constitution spells our clearly, how one becomes its party president. It’s not the business of the ROS to impose its choice as to who becomes the KITA president. Zaid’s position has party constitutional legitimacy while Zamil’s is purely self-appointed. Zamil is what Murugiah is to PPP once until he elected to join the MIC and fades into oblivion.

When things started to go awry in KITA a few months back, the people most upset were from UMNO. How is this possible since KITA is of no interest to UMNO?  UMNO regards it as an nonstarter and does not threaten UMNO in the least. If so, why was UMNO so upset leading even the DPM to decry the intention of Zaid to stand down KITA?