Zaid Ibrahim stick to decision to resign

Report from Malaysiakini:

De facto Law Minister Zaid Ibrahim has decided to stick with his decision to quit in protest of the government invoking the Internal Security Act.

MCPX

"My decision (to quit) remains," he told a press conference at his office in Putrajaya this morning.

Zaid added that he has not made a decision on leaving Umno and joining PKR.

The minister said he wants to keep an open mind about this.

The minister had tendered his resignation yesterday, a day after he took the government to task for arresting three people under the security law.

However, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had asked Zaid to go on a two-week leave to reconsider his decision.

The former Kota Baru MP was made a senator and named as minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of legal affairs during the cabinet reshuffle by premier Abdullah 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.

However, Zaid lamented that the latest ISA arrests had dealt a blow to his six-month-long task of trying to regenerate the judiciary.

The minister also conceded that his views on certain matters do not go down well with his cabinet colleagues.

Report from The Star:

PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Zaid Ibrahim is sticking to his decision to resign as de facto Law Minister despite the Prime Minister rejecting his resignation.

He told a press conference here Tuesday morning that he was disappointed.

Zaid says he is disappointed.

The Senator also said he has not made a decision on leaving Umno and joining PKR. He, however, said he would keep an “open mind”.

Zaid submitted his resignation letter to the Prime Minister on Monday but it was rejected.

In his letter, Zaid enumerated his frustrations in achieving the reforms he had been tasked with doing; the straw that broke his back was the arrest of three civilians under the Internal Security Act on Friday. Zaid — who was unsuccessful in meeting Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi earlier — tendered his letter of resignation as minister to the Prime Minister’s office before 2pm.

However, he was later called to a meeting at Seri Perdana with Abdullah from 3pm to 5pm.

At the meeting, the Prime Minister rejected his letter and told him to take two weeks’ leave instead.

Later in Kuala Terengganu, Abdullah confirmed receiving Zaid’s letter but declined to give further details as he had yet to see the letter.

Indeed a man of his word! A true fighter and reformer! I echo the sentiment by Penang CM Guan Eng yesterday at the Kelana Jaya Stadium rally: Today, I am proud to be a Malaysian because there are people like Zaid Ibrahim, a minister that resigned not because of corruption, not because of a scandal, but because he is disillusioned with the present administration! A minister that dares to resign because of his values!

Hopefully this will put enough pressure on PM Abdullah Badawi to abolish the ISA.

Hmm... ZAID TO JOIN PKR ?

Update: Video of Zaid's Press Conference: