Zaid Ibrahim among 14 seeking to join PAS

PETALING JAYA: Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim has applied for membership in PAS, party secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan announced last night, describing it as “a surprise”.

In announcing Zaid’s application, one of 14 who seek to join the party, Takiyuddin said “he’s the one who can ‘break’ the Kota Bharu seat”, a reference to the time Zaid was MP for Kota Bharu from 2004 to 2008 when he was with Umno.

The others who sought to join PAS included Rafie Abdul Malek, a former Negeri Sembilan executive councillor and former Ampangan assemblyman; Rahimi Osman, a former aide to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim; and Hamidah Othman, a former Bersatu vice-president.

Zaid, whose legal firm became one of Malaysia’s largest, was an outspoken advocate of judicial independence. He was named law minister in March 2008 but resigned in September that year over the government’s use of the Internal Security Act, which allowed detention without trial.

While he was law minister, he secured government compensation for six Supreme Court judges who were victims of the constitutional crisis of 1988 – the then Lord President Salleh Abbas, and judges Azmi Kamaruddin, Eusoffe Abdoolcader, Wan Hamzah Mohamed Salleh, Wan Sulaiman Pawanteh and George Seah. However, he was unable to secure a formal government apology.

Zaid’s political journey has taken him from Umno, from which he was expelled in 2008, to PKR, Parti Kita, DAP and back to Umno in 2022. He was fielded by PKR in the Hulu Selangor parliamentary by-election but narrowly lost by 1,725 votes to BN’s P Kamalanathan.

He has been outspoken in favour of progressive politics and reforms and critical of Umno and its leader, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, as well as PAS and the opposition Perikatan Nasional.

In November 2024, Zaid criticised PAS, calling it a party that attracts only Malays in Perak, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu and has no support elsewhere.

Last year, Zaid disputed a PAS leader’s assertion that the party is better qualified to lead PN. He said PAS would struggle to garner national support.