Former de facto law minister Zaid Ibrahim has announced that he will contest in the upcoming Kajang by-election in a bid to stymie PKR's "Kajang move".

At a press conference in Kajang today, Zaid said that if he were to win, it would ensure that Abdul Khalid Ibrahim will continue to be the Selangor menteri besar.

 
Zaid said the by-election, forced by the sudden resignation of incumbent Lee Chin Cheh to make way for PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim entry to the state legislative assembly, was a "wholly inappropriate political act".
 
He claimed that if Anwar becomes a state assemblyperson and tries to oust Khalid as menteri besar, a political crisis will break out if the latter refuses to resign voluntarily.
 
He added that even if Anwar wins, he might not be able to convince the Selangor Sultan or allies in PAS to accept him as the new menteri besar.

"There is a real risk that a misuse of his political position by Anwar to take power from Khalid will tear Pakatan Rakyat apart," said Zaid.

Responsible leadership

Zaid said Khalid and members of his government has the public mandate to rule and the trust that they have earned cannot be erased by PKR's "political machinations".
 
"If Khalid and any of his team are to be removed, let it be done through the democratic process where any weaknesses or failings can be openly discussed and due process followed.
 
"And let it be done with the consent of His Majesty the Sultan. Such transparency is central to the responsible leadership that the people expect in the 21st century," he said.
 
In view of this, and in order to respect the principles of a healthy democracy and ensure political stability, Zaid said voters in Selangor must ensure that PKR's plans to make Anwar the new menteri besar does not work.
 
He said that responsible leadership meant that political leaders must be responsible to the state as a whole and not just one party.
 
"I hope the voters of Kajang will make wise choices in the face of the current crisis between Khalid, Anwar and Azmin Ali. I believe this can happen if I win this seat," he said.

Zaid, 63, is born in Kelantan and currently resides in Petaling Jaya. He said he has stayed in Selangor for more than 35 years.

When asked for an immediate reaction to Zaid's announcement, Anwar offered the following curt reply: "It is a free world".