PETALING JAYA: Umno supreme council member Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin (pix) has come under fire for blaming voters for the country’s current political instability.
Bersih 2.0 chairman Thomas Fann said Zahidi does not understand democracy, while public policy analyst Dr Lim Teck Ghee described his comment as “illogical, outrageous and out of line”. For political analyst Dr Barjoyai Bardai, it was just a “stupid” statement.
Fann reminded Zahidi that voters have the right to choose who they want.
“It was disingenuous of him to blame voters rather than himself. Voters did not want the ‘Sheraton Move’ but it is the politicians who were responsible for it,” he told theSun.
Fann said Zahidi’s statement was a reflection of his arrogance and lack of understanding about the democratic process.
“He thinks that the only party that should rule the country is his.”
Zahidi said on Monday that the near-even split in the Dewan Rakyat between the government and the Opposition was the result of voters’ choices in the last general election that saw Barisan Nasional trounced.
The Deputy Communications and Multimedia minister said the people were the ones who caused the instability but added that they were lied to.
Lim said the people now feel that they have been played out by opportunistic and power crazy politicians and parties.
“Zahidi and his colleagues need to look at themselves in the mirror. The fig leaves are falling off for the public to see the naked ugly truth about many politicians and their self-interests,” he said, adding that Zahidi should tell his constituents that they are to blame for putting him in Parliament.
“He should realise that Umno is one of the players in this ongoing power struggle. Zahidi is simply trying to divert attention from what is happening.
“On the other hand, he cannot blame his own party, PAS or Muhyiddin (Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin). If he blames DAP it would be too obvious a target, so he decided to blame the voters.”
Barjoyai said the people were already seeing changes after Pakatan Harapan took over but “some politicians were too hungry for power so they created a ‘backdoor’ government”.
The political situation has worsened, he said, because MPs now regard themselves as “valuable commodities” as they can party hop.
“If left unchecked, it can destroy democracy. Blaming voters is a low blow and a means to divert attention from the power struggle.”
