'The mental reformation must be on-going, and this is where currently PKR is lacking. Azmin, once he becomes PKR deputy president, must prove his worth.'

Azmin ditches diplomacy, rips Zaid apart

Tony: Irrespective of how short a stint Zaid Ibrahim stayed in the party, winning the election for deputy president by fraud will be nothing to be proud of.

Investigate the complaints immediately and those found winning by cheating should be stripped of their membership, irrespective of their seniority. Be honest... even if it's Azmin Ali or Mustaffa Kamil Ayub.

Mikey: Politicians will be politicians. You can never trust them and their double-speak. I have voted opposition in six elections, but now there seems credence to the view that better the devil you know than the one you don't.

Inspektor Klueso: Umno is awful, but PKR is proving to be inept and pathetic. Raja Petra Kamarudin, please rescue the rakyat from the pitiful mess we are in. So much hope has been vested in them, and these clowns are falling apart like an attap-thatched roof in a monsoon.

Nelson Mandela knew when to step aside. It's a pity that Anwar Ibrahim has not a shred of the former's statesmanship - a quality vital to jell the opposition.

With ‘Umno Lite' Azmin Ali now leading the charge, Umno might as well call for snap polls and order Dom Perignon in advance to celebrate the slaughter of the opposition in the 13 ^th general elections.

N Ng: The leadership of PKR needs to be aware that the people voted in March 2008 not for PKR but against the BN. In essence, PKR needs to pull its socks up, and demonstrate unity and solidarity.

Oranje: Not only PKR, but Pakatan Rakyat as a whole, is not ready to take Putrajaya. Criticisms against their conduct are deemed treasonous while scorn is poured on those who mean good. Zaid, Raja Petra, Helen Ang, Hindraf, P Uthayakumar are the very few names along that score.

Zz2XX: Umno has played this game well. Plant a mole, and then you have the ‘I don't trust Zaid' camp and the ‘I don't trust Azmin' camp, and a ‘Keadilan Baru' in the horizon. Umno has played the ‘divide-and-rule' game for more than 50 years, so they are specialists in this field.

Anonymous: The country is near bankruptcy, and there's no law in this land except Umno laws. Generally, people are afraid of change because of stupid statements such as ‘better the devil you know than the one you don't'. Indeed, what if the unknown devil turns out to be a lesser one?

As far as the non-Malays are concerned, we have nothing to lose in voting for a change. We are in delusion if we expect Pakatan to be perfect. It is impossible as we are all no saints. No matter how, we need to get rid of BN - unless you want Umno/BN to continue robbing the country.

See how much Tourism Minister Ng Yen Yen spent on her overseas trips? Then there are the Port Klang Free Zone issue, Mohd Khir Toyo and his mansion, etc. We can't afford to make such mistakes, anymore.

ACR: Only over the long term would the motives of Azmin and Zaid become evident. As of now, Azmin deserves credit for his loyalty to Anwar considering not a single of his contemporaries at the onset of the 1998 reformasi are in PKR today.

They are all back in Umno. Raja Petra had listed the names of these people in a recent article, so I wouldn't generalise in the manner Azmin has done in saying Zaid has ‘never been in a street demo, never been arrested, never been poor and (has) no understanding of what reformasi is.'

Zaid had a poor childhood. The physical aspects of reformasi took place in 1998. Those fellows who are back in Umno today were there on the streets then. The mental reformation must be on-going, and this is where currently PKR is lacking.

Azmin, once he becomes PKR deputy president, must prove his worth.

Ruben: Now I see a true leader talking, and talking straight. Well said, Azmin - Zaid was never there when PKR was at its lowest point and yet still fighting for justice.

You, Azmin, and Tian Chua, N Gobalakrishnan, etc, were truly the leaders that stood firm, come rain or shine. Yes, Anwar is to be respected for all that he stands for, and for all the pain and injustices that have been inflicted on him.

In comparison, Zaid is a loud-mouthed cowboy seeking only self-glorification. He became known for his maverick ways and for speaking out his mind. But these were mere words with no corresponding action.

He got nowhere with Umno and is now creating havoc in PKR. Sack him, I say, and get rid of like-minded people in PKR who are only there for themselves and not for the rakyat.

Big Picture: Here is DSAI's response to Zaid at a luncheon in Singapore organised by the Foreign Correspondents' Association ( The Straits Times , Singapore, Nov 12): "It's up to party members to decide if they want me to go, but a substantial number of leaders who were supportive of him (Zaid) have withdrawn their support because they think he is playing through the influence of Umno."

Anwar also flatly refuted allegations of vote rigging in the contest for the position of deputy president: "Out of 80 or 90 divisions, most of the smaller divisions were with Zaid, so if there had been any interference, he would not have obtained more than half of the votes from these smaller constituencies," he said, adding that most of the party stalwarts chose not to support him.

Anwar also took issue with his (Zaid's) performance on the job, claiming that he had not discharged his responsibilities properly. "There has been no submissions, no reports, no recommendations ... nothing," he said.

Kingfisher: Quite a significant number of ordinary Malaysians gave their support to PKR and its allies - PAS and DAP - for two primary reasons.

1) They want a viable long-term opposition, and where necessary, a replacement for BN.

2)They want the establishment of a new political culture that will promote the interests of all Malaysians, not a corrupt culture that protects and promotes the interests of a select few.

Unfortunately, many of PKR's senior leaders seem not to have the commitment and maturity to assume the serious responsibility envisaged by the people who support the party. Though the time is opportune, these leaders seem to demonstrate that they are no different or superior to the ones they want replaced.

Let us hope PAS and DAP will do better. Let us also hope that the new PM, who seems energetic, will accommodate the aspirations of the people who ‘supported' PKR.

Arbee: Whatever the outcome of the conflict within PKR, I always say, "Man proposes, God (Allah) disposes." So for those who are involved, my only suggestion is: Have patience, Rome wasn't built in a day.

In the case of the withdrawal of Zaid from the race, I am of the opinion that he has done the right thing because in Islamic practise, whenever there is ( was-was ) doubt (in this case, the integrity of the election process, etc.), one should stop.

However, for Zaid to call for the withdrawal of the two pioneers of PKR is most definitely unimaginative, impolite and undiplomatic - which may be in the personal characteristics of the man and therefore cannot go without comments.

Good men: Never trust anyone completely... and trust politicians even less. But do fulfill your responsibility towards our country by participating in the political process.

When making choices, you can seldom be 100 percent sure, but ponder deeply as to who on the balance of probability, will be more likely to deliver the desired outcome. Our country's future depends on the choice made by each and every individual.