Give Zulkifli the boot, says Zaid
Pakatan Rakyat stalwart Zaid Ibrahim has called for the sacking of PKR's outspoken Kulim Bandar Baharu MP Zulkifli Noordin.
Pakatan Rakyat stalwart Zaid Ibrahim has called for the sacking of PKR's outspoken Kulim Bandar Baharu MP Zulkifli Noordin.
According to him, Pakatan cannot afford to have MPs who go against reform.
"If you say the (amendment) of the law is wrong, that's okay. But don't lodge police reports as this is a form of intimidation," he told a press conference.
The PKR supreme council member was responding to the police report filed by Zulkifli against PAS Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad for calling for the amendment of a Selangor religious enactment.
Zaid also warned that Pakatan's image as a champion of democracy would be affected if the coalition did not act against Zulkifli.
"If not 'Middle Malaysia' will ask what we stand for and our party will become a laughing stock. We are not Umno or BN," he said.
He added that it will not be enough to suspend Zulkifli's membership, as this is not the first time the controversial MP has tainted the party's image.
Last November, Zulkifli made headlines by challenging PKR vice-president R Sivarasa to quit and battle him for the post, exposing internal conflicts within the party.
The MP is also infamous for holding a protest against the Bar Council's forum on 'Conversion to Islam' in 2008.
'Keep Zulkifli, and others may leave'
Commenting further, Zaid said: "The time has come for PKR to look at itself and ask what kind of people it wants."
Asked if other PKR leaders shared his view, the lawyer-turned-politician said that he could not speak for others but the lack of stern action speaks volumes.
He was also unperturbed by the idea of Zulkifli joining Umno, if sacked.
"He can join any party he wants, but if you keep Zulkifli (below), others may leave," added the former Umno member and law minister.
The latest incident, he said, was reflective of an unhealthy trend of MPs "ganging up" against each other.
"MPs should uphold the law, and be careful not to inflame or aggravate a problem. If not, people will have no respect for them and the whole system will be viewed negatively," he added.
Commenting on the Allah issue, Zaid said: "We will be safe if we follow the constitution, but not if we leave it to politicians."
The issue, he added, is not about conversion, but about the usage of the word 'Allah' by Christians while practising their religion, which is protected by the constitution.
"We cannot control what they say in their prayers. But if there is an evangelical church that is working underground to convert Muslims, then we can take action against them because that goes against the constitution," he said.
As such, Zaid said political leaders like Zulkifli should take charge and clarify the matter, and not confuse the public further.
He added that the enactment pertaining to the usage of several words, including 'Allah' by non-Muslims is not new, and that as a lawyer, Zulkifli should understand this.
He noted that the issue is raised today is due to the Home Ministry's ban on the Herald, which was a direct consequence of the publication's involvement in the Bersih movement.
Their support for the movement for clean and fair elections made the Herald appear like supporters of the opposition, he added.
Responding to a question about the coalition's direction, Zaid said that he is confident that Pakatan Rakyat is moving positively towards reaching their goals.
He, however, conceded that there are issues, particularly involving PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim's pending court case.
"But the party is not just Anwar. We, the leaders must work harder to bring in initiatives and provide direction to the party," he said.
MP's fate will be decided tomorrow
When contacted, PKR deputy president Syed Husin Ali told Malaysiakini that PKR will decide if any action will be taken against the vocal MP at the political bureau meeting tomorrow.
Syed Husin added that Zulkifli has had many opportunities to voice his concern on the matter but is using this issue as an “excuse” to create conflict.
"Khalid (Samad) was present when we had an internal meeting (on the ‘Allah’ issue), along with another 100 participants, but (Zulkifli) did not utter a single word then," he said.
He also said that Zulkifli's "selfish" actions were not aimed to solve the problem, and has inadvertently "aided" Umno.
Khalid declined to comment on the police report, saying that he "does not want to entertain (questions on) this issue any longer".
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