MP for Bayan Baru Zahrain Mohd Hashim was today advised by a former long-time comrade against taking the “low road” of personal attacks on Anwar Ibrahim.  

NONE Penang state executive councilor Abdul Malik Abul Kassim ( left ), who has been a political colleague of Zahrain’s for more than 30 years, said he could understand that Zahrain would seek to justify his decision since leaving PKR last February.

“By all means, attempt that justification on substantive grounds, but not on trivial and petty ones,” urged Malik, who handles the religion, domestic trade and consumer affairs portfolio in the DAP-led state government.

Malik said since leaving PKR, Zahrain has been going round mainland Penang, trumpeting the alleged unsuitability of PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim’s fitness to lead.

“It is as if he has only recently discovered these alleged defects in Anwar when in truth, he and I have known Anwar for about an equal length of time - 30 years or so,” remarked Malik.

zahrain hashim parliament 180310 “The person both Zahrain ( right ) and I knew then is the same one now - only older and wiser,” said Malik.

“If Zahrain has now chosen to depart our company, it must be because he has substantive disagreements on policy with Anwar and PKR,” he suggested.

“By all means, lay them out and explain to the public at large instead of dredging up petty and trivial matters that would only show he is motivated by malice rather than by any higher consideration,” he elaborated.

Sex video

Earlier this week, Zahrain told Parliament that Anwar had wanted to expose a sex video of Selangor PKR state assemblyperson Elizabeth Wong (Bukit Lanjan), an intended exposure Zahrain said was motivated by the PKR leader’s desire to coerce her to resign.

Malik said that if politicians dredged up backchat of this kind to undermine former colleagues with whom they are now at loggerheads, only vitriol and malice would result.

“We could do the same but to what end?” queried Malik.