Former Umno minister Zaid Ibrahim said he once saw Umno's Shahrir Abdul Samad as an "asset for change" but now has his doubts about the politician.

Zaid said in the past, Shahrir was the second line of leaders that he had hoped would emerge as reformers in Umno that had become anaemic and toxic.

"When I first became a divisional leader in Umno, I did not extend the customary invitations to any of the top guns to officiate the division’s first meeting. I invited Shahrir Samad instead.

"I did this because I considered him to be bright and purposeful in his politics, and I believed that he would be an asset for change.

"His tenure as chairperson of the BN backbenchers was also colourful; at times, he was willing to defy party lines on matters that would have been detrimental to the parliamentary system of government," said Zaid (photo), who is now a DAP member.

He added that Shahrir was seen as an "icon" after he took on then prime minister Dr Mahathir Moahamd in 1988.

Mahathir had then belittled that Shahrir was nothing without BN, prompting Shahrir to resign his Johor Bahru parliamentary seat and re-contested as an independent, winning against an Umno candidate.

However, Zaid said he now had serious reservations about Shahrir.

"In the last two years, since his relationship with Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has grown close, many have come to see Shahrir as different from the Malay reformer they once thought he was.

"I now have doubts if he can continue to be a good MP for Johor Bahru, even though he remains a well-known figure," said Zaid.

Shahrir had consistently defended Najib amid the 1MDB scandal.

Zaid, who will be speaking at a Pakatan Harapan event in Johor Bahru this Friday, said he will elaborate on his reasons then about Shahrir, who remains popular in the constituency.