Save Malaysia meets amid friction over Zahid endorsement
(Malay Mail Online) – The Save Malaysia movement is scheduled to meet today even as two senior leaders’ endorsement of Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as the new prime minister has sparked alarm among activists.
Former Umno leader Datuk Seri Khairuddin Abu Hassan, who is part of the bipartisan group seeking Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s removal, said the meeting this afternoon will discuss the formation of Save Malaysia’s federal secretariat.
“I reckon some who are attending the meeting will raise the issue of Zahid Hamidi’s endorsement,” Khairuddin told Malay Mail Online.
Former de facto law minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, one of the senior politicians in the Save Malaysia movement headed by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, recently endorsed Najib’s deputy Zahid as prime minister in a blog post on Tuesday titled: “Give Zahid a chance”.
According to Zaid, some opposition politicians and NGOs told him that Zahid was worse than Najib and disagreed with him that Zahid should take over as head of state.
Former deputy prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin also reportedly said Wednesday he “does not mind” if Zahid becomes the next prime minister.
Cynthia Gabriel, director of anti-corruption group C4, told Malay Mail Online today that she was not agreeable with Zahid replacing Najib.
“The question of the next PM should be decided by Parliament, not one or two individuals — majority,” she said.
“And for me, the next PM must commit to fixing the rot. Malaysia needs urgent fixing,” added the activist, who is one of the signatories of Save Malaysia’s “Citizens’ Declaration” that calls for Najib’s resignation.
Social activist Azrul Mohd Khalib, who initiated the www.change.org online petition in support of the Citizens’ Declaration that has almost 50,000 signatories at the time of writing, said the next prime minister must be committed to fighting corruption, to reforming the country’s institutions, and to restoring the rule of law.
“He does not have my confidence of being able to adhere to those prerequisites,” Azrul told Malay Mail Online, referring to Zahid.
Human rights activist Hishamuddin Rais, however, said he had no problems with Zahid as the new prime minister.
“I’m OK with anybody except Najib,” he told Malay Mail Online.
PKR vice-president Chua Tian Chang said deputy president Datuk Seri Azmin Ali will be attending the Save Malaysia meeting, adding that Zaid’s endorsement of Zahid was merely a personal opinion.
“If PKR says Anwar, Muhyiddin also not happy,” Chua, better known as Tian Chua, told Malay Mail Online, referring to PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
“But it’s not the core issue. The issue is to remove Najib and to implement reforms regardless of who takes over. That’s why we are united,” he said.
