Zaid Ibrahim's failure in judicial reforms!!!

Datuk Zaid Ibrahim has resigned from cabinet. Though he was persuaded by the PM to stay on, Zaid chose to satisfy his conscience and please his feeling. I must take my hat for Zaid for taking that bold step. Anybody in his shoes would have done the same if he is talking about principle and conscience. The opposition from others is a different matter altogether. We may differ on matters with Zaid but the fact remains that he stood by what he think is right. Opinion differs and it should stay as it is.

Zaid claims that he could not perform his duty with the opposition from his own colleagues in the party and the cabinet. He was treated as someone who is very different from the rest, in all aspects. He was being portrayed as an political outcast in his own party, UMNO and BN. The last straw was when he was sidelined to take over his Kota Bahru UMNO Division of which he was the former division head. Being a minister and the former chief, he felt the pinch badly.

Zaid could be outspoken and `talk when he was not supposed to talk' in the conservative Malaysian political cultures and practices. He knew that very well, yet he tried hard to push accross issues of national interest at 'the wrong time and the wrong place'. At least that seems to be the typical reasons for his outburst. He was saying the right thing to the wrong people and to the wrong audience though sometime for the right reason. That was his dilemma.

I personally would like to agree with him on issues pertaining to transparency and reforms in judiciary. That is something that should be applauded by all. The only `hiccup' could be, issues are always looked at racial line which has been the cultures and the norms all these years. In Malaysia everything is always taken as racial line based which Zaid feels reluctant to accept. That was the reason why Zaid has been branded with all kind of names. He is branded as too open and too reform conscious without looking at the unwritten multi cultural and multi religious atmosphere of this country. Moreover Zaid has the wrong people to back him, the Bar Council and the oppositions. Being backed by the Bar Council and the oppositions is definitely not really a meaningful gratitude. It could lead to disaster politically. That is his liability in Malay based political situation. He could be speaking the right words to the wrong listeners, and by doing so he was ignoring his political cultures and practices.

To call for a review of the ISA is a taboo here, let alone asking for an abolition. He could be right but ISA is a sensitive issue to play with especially to the Malay and UMNO politician like him. Few would know that more than 70 percent of ISA detainees now are of Malay origin. Zaid could be looked upon as somebody who is fighting for the justice of the Malay majority detainees though Zaid is looking at he core issue of the ISA, that is the injustice done to the detainees irrespective of race and religion. That is quite positive but again it is the wrong signal in the wrong atmosphere. To accuse that ISA is opened to abuse is not very wrong either but knowing the circumstances, it would damages him politically.

For us to determine the leadership of Zaid as a person who is definitely not perfect in many aspect is not fair. He has his setback privately or otherwise but others has their shares too. The acts of others could be more disastrous and damaging to the nation too. To compare him with other leaders with other setbacks privately or otherwise is just not right. A drinker and a corrupt man bears the same consequences and impacts on leadership. It has the same bearing but to narrow down on one wrong to justify another wrong is also wrong. It can never be an accepted culture that a leader cannot drink but he can take bribe. Or he cannot drink but he can womanise. He can not do both to be a leader with integrity. Zaid is one leader who has been made to compare on personal setbacks with others who has more or less the same setbacks.

For now Zaid has failed. He is man enough to accept failures. Reforms has to be carried on. With or without Zaid, Malaysian political scenario has to be reformed. Zaid's personality and leadership are another matter. Be it judiciary or administration, we have a lot to mend and rectify. Let us not be carried away by our own definition of reforms and changes. Let not be pathetic and self apologetic. We have to really see the real meaning of reforms and changes. We have to change and reform for the better to be a respected nation.