UPDATED
By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 10 — Former de facto Law Minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim has been issued a show-cause letter by his party Umno over his outspoken opposition to the Internal Security Act.
He told reporters today that he was issued the letter two weeks ago.
The party letter was issued over Zaid's open letter to the Prime Minister regarding the use of the ISA and his support for the opposition's push to repeal it.
Speaking at a press conference today, he said his lawyer Malik Imtiaz Sarwar would respond to the letter.
Zaid quit the Cabinet in September.
Zaid had quit Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's Cabinet in September over ISA arrests and the lack of support for his proposed reforms, had written an open letter to the PM calling for the abolition of the law.
He said in his letter that the government had failed the people in repeatedly reneging on Tunku Abdul Rahman's promise that "the ISA would never be used to stifle legitimate opposition and silence lawful dissent."
Zaid's presence and support of an opposition caucus against the ISA was also cited in the letter asking him to show cause.
Since leaving Cabinet, there has been widespread speculation over the political future of Zaid.
He is said to be contemplating quitting Umno and is being courted by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's PKR party.
The show-cause letter will certainly fuel more speculation.
A number of Umno leaders have been clamouring for action to be taken against him for his outspokenness.
Last week, Zaid also referred to the social contract as "racialist and a creation of Umno."
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