Outgoing minister paints damning portrait of embattled gov't

As far as his cabinet colleagues were concerned, outgoing law minister Zaid Ibrahim said he faced a brick wall in trying to translate the idea of fairness and reforms to them.

Zaid, who tendered his resignation yesterday and reiterated his decision to leave this morning, told a press conference that he had tried his best to push for judicial reforms during his brief tenure as the de facto law minister.

The Umno politician said he had attempted to create a better selection process for judges, restore the judicial power, initiate reforms to the police force and limit the executive’s power on the Internal Security Act.

"I proposed all that but what I have succeeded so far is to only give a bit of ex-gratia payment to the sacked judges (involved in the 1988 judiciary crisis). I concede my failure.

"At the same time I received a lot of disagreement from my own party and my cabinet colleagues who accused me not of being a true fighter for my own race and religion. I have gone through a lot," he lamented.

Asked on the possibility that such changes take time and cannot happen overnight, Zaid was anything but optimistic in his response.

"I am not as encouraged as you are. I agree changes take time but I was looking for some positive signs of change and development to give me the assurance and confidence (to go on) but obviously not.

"If I stay longer, you would have asked 'Datuk (his honorary title), why are you staying so long when you do nothing', so six months is good (enough)," he told reporters at his office in Putrajaya.

'I faced a brick wall'

Elaborating on the obstacles he faced in implementing the reforms, Zaid said he could not convince his cabinet colleagues to look at things from a different perspective.

"I faced a brick wall! I can't translate or make them understand the basic thing that we are a country that is fair to all races, we have the same rights under the federal constitution.

"I hope with my departure it will trigger some changes, responses and positive reactions from my party and colleagues. I think that will be good enough," he stressed.

Asked whether he was disappointed with Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Zaid sidestepped the question by replying: "He is a nice man, he has other things to deal with that I may not know."

The outgoing minister said he believes the prime minister’s efforts to introduce reforms was forced to take a backseat due to the internal turmoil in Umno and Barisan Nasional.

"If this goes on, it will impair his ability to govern. He is doing his best within the constraints he has," said Zaid, adding that he did not want to be an additional liability to the premier.

On his next move, Zaid revealed that he will set up a foundation to help bridge the deepening racial divide in the country and continue to perform his role as a senator.

The lawyer-turned-politician, who founded one of the country's largest law firms, said he has no plan to return to practice which he gave up when he was appointed a minister in March.

His appointment was lauded by many quarters as it was seen as a gesture by the prime minister to put in place judicial reforms.

Zaid said the final straw in relation to his decision to resign was the Internal Security Act arrests of three individuals on Friday.