If Zaid Ibrahim wants to be the President I would step down......

KUALA LUMPUR — Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, who left PKR last month, is now a member of the Malaysian People’s Justice Front or Akim, said its president Zakaria Salleh today.

Zakaria told The Malaysian Insider that the former PKR deputy presidential contender joined the tiny Kelantan party last month.

Zaid had planned to quit PKR on December 16, but the party supreme council accepted his resignation on November 19.

“He is now an Akim member; he submitted his application last November. He is officially our member,” said Zakaria.

When asked if Zaid would take over the party’s presidency, Zakaria said it is up to the former law minister to decide.

“It is up to Zaid if he wants to contest or not, if he wants to I would step down. But members must agree, I alone cannot make the decision,” said Zakaria.

Akim is scheduled to hold its annual general meeting on Wednesday to elect a new leadership.

“Zaid will most probably attend the meeting,” said Zakaria.

Zakaria had last week confirmed that Zaid was in discussion to take over the party which would be relaunched as his new political platform.

Zaid had said early this month about the need of a new political party, describing existing parties as “unwilling to make a stand on defending fundamental principles.” 

Akim was founded in 1995 but has been unable to make any impact, even in Kelantan which has been under PAS rule since 1990. 

In 2008, the party contested in the Permatang Pauh by-election but its candidate Hanafi Mamat lost his deposit when he obtained only 92 votes.

Akim faced a leadership crisis recently but it was resolved after intervention by the Registrar of Societies which later confirmed its registration status on December 1.

- Malaysian Insider