Zaid to lead Pakatan?

Rahmah Ghazali, Malaysiakini
Nov 5, 09
4:40pm

PKR strategist Tian Chua today dismissed a report suggesting that Pakatan Rakyat coordinator Zaid Ibrahim would helm Pakatan Rakyat coalition once it is registered as a formal coalition.

Clarifying this to reporters in Parliament, Chua who is also a Batu MP said the coalition has yet to decide on the leadership line-up as they have to wait for Pakatan to be a "legal entity" first.

"So, the rest of the things including the constitution, logo and leadership will be decided when the registration is approved," he said.

Yesterday, the foreign news wire AFP reported that Pakatan had proposed to appoint Zaid (left), once an Umno minister in charge of law, as its chairperson.

Quoting an anonymous source, the report said Zaid's name had been submitted for approval to the Registrar of Societies.

According to Chua, however, the coalition will only decide on the matter at a 'later stage'.

Registration is key

"This is not the issue of putting who as the chairperson. At the moment, the whole procedure is to register the party and the Pakatan leadership will deliver on the actual manifesto.

"(But we still) deciding who will hold what position but that is at a much later stage," he said.

Early this week, Pakatan has applied for formal registration with the Registrar of Societies, a move to make the loose tri-partite coalition as a single entity against arch rivals Barisan Nasional.

When repeatedly pressed by reporters, Chua gave the same reply that no thought had been given to the leadership line-up.

"This is a process. It is like giving a brand name of a company where the marketing plan is not part of the registration.

"We still have to work on our marketing plans and our products," he added.

Chua (right) also stressed that it is more important to register the coalition as it would enable all the three allies - PKR, DAP and PAS - to concentrate on with "strengthening" Pakatan.

"The (registration) is the only one small part of our whole of formalisation of Pakatan and it is in the process of consolidating itself and strengthening our secretariat".

He said all Pakatan allies were currently drafting a common policies platform.

On the same note, he denied that the coalition's leadership lineup would be on the agenda at next month's party convention.

"The convention will only discuss Pakatan policies, our function and how to strengthen our election machinery," he added.