Zahrain defends his silence while in PKR
By Adib Zalkapli
KUALA LUMPUR, March 18 — Bayan Baru MP Datuk Seri Zahrain Hashim today defended himself from his former PKR colleagues who called him a Barisan Nasional (BN) attack dog, saying he toed the line when in the party.
“If I had been as vocal as today, there would be chaos,” Zahrain said at a press conference at the Parliament lobby.
Earlier today PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution claimed that since elected MP in 2008, Zahrain had been silent but changed yesterday as he was made “BN attack dog.”
“They can call me anything they want,” said Zahrain when asked about Saifuddin’s accusation.
The former Penang PKR chairman also pointed that none of the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers has rebutted his attack against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s takeover plan.
“If you listened to their questions just now, nobody denied what I said,” said Zahrain.
He had claimed yesterday that the opposition leader had lied to PR MPs claiming that he had enough support from BN MPs to form the new government on Sept 16, 2008.
Zahrain also claimed that during the time of the supposed takeover, he was led to believe that de facto PKR leader had even obtained consent from the King.
“Although there was attempt to say I was not kept in the dark because I was not in the political bureau, but Anwar Ibrahim is my friend,” he said, referring to Sungai Petani MP Datuk Johari Abdul’s remarks in Parliament earlier that Zahrain was not in the political bureau and would not know the details of the takeover plan.
On the call by DAP chairman Karpal Singh for him to stay away from Parliament for six months to pave the way for by-election, Zahrain said he cannot abandon his duties to serve his voters.
“I cannot abandon Bayan Baru voters, why should I do that, I love my job I want to serve the people,” said Zahrain.
He added that the question should be directed to Anwar as he had planned the defections of BN MPs in order to take over the federal government.
Karpal had said that by causing a vacancy through a six-month absence, the MPs are not banned from contesting for five years.
Zahrain was the first PKR federal lawmaker to quit the party since Election 2008. He was later joined by Nibong Tebal MP Tan Tee Beng and Bagan Serai MP Mohsin Fadzli Samsuri.
source : malaysianinsider
Zahrain, Zul Noordin deny meeting PM
By Clara ChooiKUALA LUMPUR, March 16 — Independent MPs Datuk Seri Zahrain Hashim and Zulkifli Noordin today denied having met the prime minister last week, with the latter blaming the rumour on the “little pharaohs” in PKR.
When approached in Parliament today, Zahrain (picture)frowned and shook his head when he was asked to confirm if the meeting had taken place.
“No, we did not meet. Not true,” he said.
Zulkifli, on the other hand, laughed and said the rumour was just the work of PKR’s “little pharaohs”, the same people he had claimed were behind his recent sacking.
“No, no meeting. Rumours by little pharaohs. They love these sort of rumours,” he said.
He added that he would never consider joining Umno no matter what but would fully support the government on any policy changes that were good for the people.
“Umno is a big no. U-M-N-O... a big ‘N-O’,” he said.
In the meantime, Zahrain also agreed that he would willingly back the government on policies of reform, saying he fully supported Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1 Malaysia concept.
“Well of course, any reform that is good for the country we will support. For example, 1 Malaysia. It is good so I support. The GST, I do not believe in it so I do not support. But if it is the ISA then I do not agree with it too,” he said, referring to the Goods and Service Tax (GST) Bill that the government withdrew from Parliament.
Zahrain also joined Najib in the latter’s insult of DAP’s Middle Malaysia, saying that it was just political rhetoric and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s ploy to mislead the people.
“It is all just rubbish. It is Lim’s game to confuse people. Malaysian Malaysia did not work so we move on to 1 Malaysia. But I do not want to talk about Guan Eng.... I have said enough,” he said.
PKR’s Balik Pulau MP Yusmadi Yusoff also moved to support his former colleagues but made it a point to say that it did not mean he was “not yet convinced” enough to support 1 Malaysia.
“They (Zahrain) may support it but not me. I am not yet convinced. But it is true, reform, in any form, can come from anyone,” he said.
Although he recently pledged he would remain loyal to the PKR, Yusmadi further fuelled rumours of his possible defection one day by saying that he wants to be “on the right side of history”.
“I always want to be on the right side of history. And history tells us that the work of reform must be done and it can come from anyone,” he said.
Yusmadi said this when Zahrain told The Malaysian Insider to ask the “bright young politician” if he still planned to be an opposition MP in the next term.
source : malaysianinsider
Zahrain claims Anwar tried to stop Washington forum
Anwar was accused of trying to block a recent CSIS-organised forum in Washington. — file pic
KUALA LUMPUR, March 18 — Bayan Baru MP Datuk Seri Zahrain Hashim today continued his attack against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, claiming the latter had attempted to stop a recent forum on Malaysia in Washington.
“I was shocked when the organiser, CSIS (Centre for Strategic and International Studies), informed us that they had received a call from Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s American aide, Aasil Kazi Ahmad, asking for the programme to be cancelled,” Zahrain said in Parliament.
The former Penang PKR chairman had attended the talk in Washington DC last month, where Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz spoke on rule of law issues in Malaysia.
Other Malaysians who spoke at the forum were MACC chief Datuk Abu Kassim Mohamed and former Chief Justice Tun Abdul Hamid Mohamad.
Zahrain also called on the Home Ministry to investigate Aasil’s background and referred to him as Anwar’s spin doctor.
“I urge the Home Ministry to investigate Aasil... whether he has a work permit. Malaysia does not need a foreign traitor like this,” said Zahrain, who claimed that Aasil works for Anwar at the PKR headquarters.
“I demand that the Home Ministry take stern action by deporting the traitor,” he added.
Zahrain said he had no choice but to reveal all the problems in PKR in order to clear his name.
“I have to do this because they have chosen to embarrass me and my family,” he said.
Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders claimed that Zahrain had been unhappy with the DAP-led Penang state government, after a company allegedly linked to him failed to secure a contract to maintain a state-owned golf course.
“PKR deputy president Dr Syed Husin Ali made a statement that a cleansing process has been completed, but the fact is those who are clean have abandoned PKR,” said Zahrain, who quit the party to turn independent on Feb 12.
On the calls for him to vacate his seat, Zahrain said that would be a betrayal to his voters, as only a minority had signed a petition calling for him to resign.
“If I resign because 1,500 voters asked me to, it is like betraying my voters,” he said in response to a question from Parit Buntar MP, Mujahid Yusof, who asked Zahrain if he is considering joining Umno.
Yesterday, Zahrain slammed Anwar by claiming that the opposition leader had lied to PR MPs on a plan to take over the federal government through defections of Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs on Sept 16, 2008.
souece : malaysianinsider
1 comment:
谢谢 thank you.. :D
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