It has been a long time since there is a principled politician in Malaysia (such as Tunku Abdul Rahman, Datuk Onn Senior). Zaid has shown us that there is hope.
A reform is only complicated if you don’t want it, says senator Datuk Zaid Ibrahim. If you want reforms, make the Government more transparent, adopt meritocracy and a more equitable system; that’s not difficult.
PUTTING Senator Datuk Zaid Ibrahim in a Barisan Nasional Cabinet after the March 8 general election might have seemed to some like trying to force a square peg into a round hole.
“Will he fit in?” wondered his friends with concern while others reacted with consternation.
Tried as hard as he did for six months to fit in that hole, Zaid decided to call it quits after six months, when hit by the last straw - three civilians were arrested under the Internal Security Act on Sept 12. Sunday Star caught up with him shortly after his resignation and quizzed him on his time in the Cabinet, his political will and his next venture.
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/> What has been the most severe criticism levelled at you?
Not severe-lah, just irritating. That the reforms (for greater equality) don’t serve the Malays. It just shows their level of ignorance. Some said I’m not a team player, I don’t know how to convince people.
/> The public were happy when the Prime Minister announced the setting up of a JAC. They understand it’s very complicated and the Government needs time but…
It is actually not a complicated thing. It’s only complicated if you don’t want it. The reform was meant to make the Government more transparent, employ a fairer and more equitable system, get the best people for the job, and to have meritocracy in place. That’s not difficult.
/> So what was the difficulty, especially after March 8?
The difficulty is some people don’t want to change and as long as they are in power you have to live with it.
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/> You talked of setting up a foundation called MyFuture. What’s its mission?
I see race relations as a major problem in Malaysia. There are Malays who subscribe to ketuanan Melayu, special rights, special law and are fearful of the Chinese. They are fearful of accepting non-Malays in administration, high positions and in universities. There is too much ethno-centric and communitarian politics.
I want young people to be able to understand the other’s problems and fears so we can solve problems rather than “don’t talk about this, don’t talk about that”, “this is sensitive”, “you are threatening us” and “get out of the country if you don’t like it here.” It’s all symptomatic of a state of mind that is not confident. You can’t have reform then.
In a JAC, for example, with a more open process, you will end up having an Indian Chief Justice; you’d ask “how could that be? I can’t accept that.” That argument is racist in character. Or if you want a more equitable housing policy and if you perceive the act of redistribution of wealth or opportunity as benefiting one particular group you don’t like, then you say that is not on because it would endanger or violate your rights.
The whole spectrum of our national life cannot undergo reform if the Malays, Chinese and Indians are ridden with fear and chauvinistic views.
We should move beyond talk. It’s no point charging people with sedition here and there every other week. You have to address the fundamental problem.
It is compounded by the fact that we have two court (civil/syariah) systems. You must understand the issues and be willing to sit down and be trusting enough with one another to say how can we solve this problem.
We need a different approach for this. I hope this foundation can do that in a small way, based on the experiences and modules from other countries on how they deal with racial prejudices through cultural outreach programmes €“ beyond eating and makan. We need to understand, for example, why Hindus build temples all over the place? What is the historical perspective? Can a church be next to a mosque? We have had that in Penang for over 100 years but can we do that now?
/> You reckon they could build a multi-storey carpark next to the two places of worship to serve both communities, resolving the traffic/parking problem on Fridays at the mosque and Sundays at the church?
Yes (laughing). But you can effect reform only if people are trusting and don’t think that one violates another’s tenets.
We devote too much time on things like tolldouble tracking when we should devote more time on Bangsa Malaysia, what kind of people we want to be.
I was told a person asked why a 9A’s student didn’t get a scholarship and the reply was that it was okay for one race but not another. I find that repugnant. What kind of values are we teaching? We should teach our children not to fear another race or religion. We should recognise our differences and live as equal citizens in this country.
/> Many Malaysians speak nostalgically about how race relations were better decades before. How will you erase years of racism and bigotry sown at home or in school?
We have the trappings of success but need to improve. I think the Malays are less fearful of the Chinese now but some people in my party think otherwise. I also know the Chinese in my constituency voted PAS.
/> How will you woo parents who worry your programmes might “brainwash” their children into “liberals?”
There is a lot “brainwashing” here to start with, the brainwashing of civil servants and politicians. So if I do my brainwashing (laughing) what’s wrong with that? I am just sending a different message and countering theirs. I am willing to engage with these people that this is a flawed policy, this is not what makes us Malays proud.
/> Do you think a JKKK (Village Development and Security Committee) would allow you to hold a programme in their village?
Why not? You need to engage with them. You can’t legislate, well you can but you have to do more. I’m not pretending I’m a great reformist in the area of values and beliefs but I would like another language, one more positive to be used.
If we can influence the young people, they will become decision makers every five years. That’s the one thing politicians are afraid of.
I used to go to Hindu temples in Kelantan. Nobody says anything there. When I saw the famous reclining Buddha I wondered about him. That started my interest in philosophy. Everything that you see stimulates your interest in something else.
We really need to get out of mediocrity and stereotype…I’m not so much interested in seminars and papers but in field activities involving young people. Then hopefully they will not grow up stopping forums and so forth; hopefully they will grow up willing to understand what the problem is.
（吉隆坡讯）首相署主管法律事务前部长再益依布拉欣揭露，他当初在建议成立司法委任委员会时，就发现马来西亚的种族问题根深蒂固。
他说：“当时有人说，届时法官将多数由印度人来担任，那怎么行？这是非常不理性的种族言论，为什么一定是印度族？是马来人太笨吗？当时我就想：天啊，如果我们一直有这种争议，要如何改革司法？你要的是公义还是肤色？对我来说这不是问题，最重要是我们有好的法令；我宁可要一个聪明的非马来人法官，也不要一个贪污又不太聪明的马来人法官。”
人民须对抗
种族沙文主义
他接受《新海峡时报》访问时说，种族关系是影响国家未来的主要因素，但现在国內却有一些人挑起破坏种族和谐的课题。若种族沙文主义成为国民的中心思想，将摧毁国人的生活及国民团结的目标。国人必须了解，在马来西亚，没有人会因为种族或肤色而受威胁；所有问题和冲突其实都有解决方案。
“但却有些马来人还主张马来人主权、特权等令华人害怕的主义，他们对非马来人担任政府高职感到恐惧；各族人民必须站起来对抗种族沙文主义；因此，我决定成立‘马来西亚未来基金会’（My Future）来促进国民团结。”
再益在出任部长前是马国规模最大的律师行“Zaid Ibrahim & Co”资深合伙人和主席。今年初，他入榜美国富布斯杂志（Forbes）首次公布的亚洲慈善家名单。
他批评团结、文化、艺术及文物部和国民团结局，在宗教课题上没有效发挥作用。他说：“每年国庆日我们都会提一次马来西亚民族，但却不曾真正落实，这才是问题；我们须相信其他族群，不应老想着其他族群会占我们便宜，否则国家如何前进？”
欲改变各民族观念
他认为，国家必须重新展开国民建设，因为国人已不再互相认识与了解，而这种“无知”是政治因素使然。“我要年轻人明白其他民族的问题和恐惧，这样才能解决问题，而不是以敏感为由，阻止人们讨论或指別人威胁本身的族群，而叫他们离开马来西亚。”
他指出，他创办的基金会将让各种族在不受威胁的氛围中，以文明方式讨论问题，通过互动方式教育及改变他们的行为，让各族年轻人真正享有丰富多元的马来西亚生活。
再益曾任首相署部长，负责法律事务和推行司法改革。上周一，他对警方动用内安法令逮捕国会议员及记者深感不满，愤而辞职。
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