Zaid: PM is ‘two-thirds crazy’

By Clara Chooi and Neville Spykerman The Malaysian Insider

PETALING JAYA, March 5 — PKR’s Pakatan Rakyat co-ordinator Datuk Zaid Ibrahim (picture) has accused Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak of being “two-thirds” crazy, claiming he is behind the recent spate of resignations by opposition MPs.

In what appears to be an attempt to clean up the image of PKR following the recent exodus of its MPs, the former Umno man told a press conference this afternoon that the defections were a result of Najib’s obsession with regaining a two-thirds majority in the Parliament.

“What is this obsession with having ‘two-thirds’? This disease to have two-thirds? Do you think England would have become what it is today because it had a two-third government? Do you think America is number one today because it had two-thirds? No. They became number one because of good governance and they have good governance because they have a strong opposition,” he said.

Zaid appealed to Najib to respect the country’s democratic system and to think about the future stability of the nation.

He noted that the Barisan Nasional government already holds the majority seats in Parliament and could pass any law that it wanted.

“Let politics be about service and about improving policies. He (Najib) is the only man who can do that. He cannot let his operators to run wild with all sorts of offers,” he said.

He said that the results of General Election 2008 was a positive one whereby for the first time, the Malaysian Parliament had a strong and vibrant opposition.

“A strong opposition is nothing to be afraid of. It is not something that we need to kill off. That is why the position of an Opposition Leader exists. Najib should fight us on policies and service and not in this manner,” he said.

Zaid added that there was no use for Barisan to cry over spilt milk and instead of focusing on winning back its majority, it should work to solve the problems plaguing the country.

“We have not settled on our trade agreements with foreign nations, we have not addressed the issue of subsidies, we have not settled on the Petronas oil issue. Today we make one policy and tomorrow, we retract. We speak about the New Economic Model in January, then February and now March. We cannot go on this way — our international status is at stake here. When we say we do something, we should do it. We should stop conducting all these clandestine works,” he said.

Zaid expressed confidence that no matter how many elected representatives that the Barisan successfully buys over, Pakatan would still prevail in the next general election.

“The people are not stupid. They know what is going on. In any case, if they feel they had made a mistake in the last election, they can correct that in the next one,” he said.

Zaid said however that if Najib’s NEM and 1 Malaysia concept was truly geared towards looking after the interests of the people, then the Barisan could very will retain as government.

“But then this should be done in a proper manner and this robbery (of elected representatives) must stop. We cannot go here and there stealing and trying to start a Perak 2,” he said.

On allegations that the three recently defected PKR MPs had been “bought over” by the BN, Zaid said the party had enough proof but could not reveal its sources.

“The problem is this — some people do not want to come out. So we have to respect our sources also. However if they are willing to come out...” he said.

He added that one source had even told him that one of Barisan’s operators had even whipped out a bag of cash to the possible defectors in order to prove that they were serious.

“But we cannot reveal our sources. Of course Barisan would deny this but then it is up to the people to believe,” he said.

He noted that although the PKR had its weaknesses, it was not on the verge of destruction just because of the defections of a few MPs.

“We promise that in the next round, our candidates will be better. The vetting process will be more strict and we will select only those who are truly there for the purpose of upholding justice and protecting the interests of the people — not those who have no interest in their jobs,” he said.

Zaid stressed that in view of Barisan’s underhanded tactics of winning the numbers in Parliament, Pakatan would win in the next elections.

“What they are doing now will only work against us in the short run. It will work against them in the long run. They will lose in the next elections, I guarantee it. If we have fair elections, we will win,” he said.