PETALING JAYA - Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim is of the opinion that de facto Law Minister Nancy Shukri wanted to remain a minister badly enough that she was willing to make “downright idiotic” statements on the government’s behalf.
In his latest blog entry, Zaid wrote, “She (Nancy) wants to remain a Minister and she is prepared to play ball, and to do what is asked of her.”
Saying the government expected the same of him when he was de facto law minister, Zaid wrote, “They tried the same tactic with me on the ISA arrests, the Lingam tape case and other issues in 2008.”
Adding, “Perhaps to Nancy, appearing ridiculous and compromising her credibility as a lawyer is not too high a price to pay,” Zaid went on to say, “I am not defending Nancy, but I understand her predicament well.”
Zaid said this in response to statements Nancy issued recently that the government was not pressing charges against Ibrahim Ali for threatening to burn Malay- and Iban-language Bibles carrying the printed word “Allah”.
Strongly suspecting that Nancy did not prepare the statement herself, Zaid likened it to his time in government when he was asked to make “downright idiotic” statements on the government’s behalf.
Saying, “Nancy does not know when to say no,” Zaid also believed Nancy was of the kind who felt “…it’s her duty to make any statement that her colleagues in the ruling government tell her to.”
Without calling her a scapegoat, Zaid did allude to the police as having copped out by throwing Ibrahim’s case into the Attorney-General’s lap, who in turn being a “smart cookie” passed the buck on to the cabinet.
Zaid said, “The smart cookies in the Government then do what they have always done: ask the cabinet member they call the de facto Law Minister to take the rap.”
Comparing himself to Nancy, Zaid said, “I stood by what I believed in; naturally, I was not able to stand for long in the post!”
He ended his entry with, “To each his own.”
By Sandra John
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