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I believe it will be generally agreed that if there was one extraordinary appointment to the newly formed cabinet it was that of Datuk Zaid Ibrahim charged with the responsibility of Judicial Affairs and Legal Reform.
This is not simply because Zaid’ appointment was controversial in itself, to say the least, but rather because he has potentially been given a blank cheque to institute legal reforms that strike at the heart of giving each and every Malaysian an inalienable legal contract of protection under the Federal Constitution. I have no doubt whatsoever that Zaid will do his utmost to ensure that Malaysians have this full protection under the rule of law, thereby giving them the kind of confidence needed to create a ‘level playing field’ for themselves and to take control of their lives. As I see it, this situation, if it is also accompanied by reasonable institutional measures to alleviate poverty across the board, will necessarily make the so-called “social contract’ of the Barisan National obsolete. Indeed, according to a leading lawyer Zainur Zakaria “the (this) so-called ‘social contract’” has been replaced with the Federation Constitution which spells out the rights of the communities” (NST 24/3/08) and therefore in emphasising individual legal rights under law reforms Zaid would in fact be contributing to a defining boost to harmonious ethnic and race relations in the country. It is necessary to digress here to point out that Zaid’s appointment is extraordinary for other reasons as well. For instance on meeting him “cold’ on an appointment in late 2006, without knowing or ever having spoken to him before, he was naturally surprised that I should have asked him to write a Foreword to my then forthcoming book entitled “The Finest Hour: Malaysian-MCP (Malaysian Communist Party) Peace Accord in Perspective” Rather than being put off, especially as an UMNO politician, from being associated with a book with such a title, he seemed intrigued and only wanted to know why I had asked him rather than someone else to do this? I made it clear that I had identified him as an up and coming Malay lawyer and politician from Kelantan and that it was time that such outspoken Malays, without fear or favour, should take the lead in speaking up for the Malays and indeed all Malaysians on issues and social problems and to put it in print form. More especially, I hoped his Foreword would be the beginning for his putting his own thoughts on paper and become a writer. Indeed I was delighted that Zaid subsequently published his ground-breaking book titled “In Good Faith” (2007) in which he also included excerpts from my book “The Finest Hour….”as below so that his ideas could be further circulated. It is important to note that despite the highly controversial nature of the book that more or less was saying that the peace accord with the MCP was our “Finest Hour’, Zaid went on to write an excellent comprehensive Foreword. Readers will be interested to read some excerpts from his piece as follows; 1. “The idea that the Malays (Malay Nationalist Party/the Malay Left) and the Chinese Communist Party fought against the British together is hardly ever discussed or even known.” 2. “We still think that ethnicity and religion will save us from “the other”- he is our enemy; but that “other” is non other than our fellow Malaysians. Just the way it was 200 years ago.” 3. “I urge all Malaysians who love this country and who want to see progress for our future generation to recognize who our real enemies are”…..”These people maybe Malays, Chinese or other ethnic groups. Regardless of who these ‘colonialists’ are, they will, if allowed to perpetuate this thinking, continue to have political and economic hegemony.” 4. “When we can be one nation and be able to speak as one people, and care enough for the other fellow Malaysian, regardless of race creed and class”; then that will be Malaysia’s Finest Hour”. It will be seen therefore that in appointing Zaid to the Cabinet for legal reforms, the Prime Minister has done something that is long overdue. As pointed out by a veteran politician reappointed to the Cabinet after many years, we need knowledgeable, forceful and bold Ministers and I am confident that Datuk Zaid Ibrahim amply fits this bill. Dr Collin Abraham
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If Zaid can think think for all, it would be great. He was my classmate in the sixties in SIPS, Batu Dua Jalan Kuala Krai. He shouldn't forget the education he got and from whom. We were already practising human rights then. The teachers irrespective of race worked selflessly. But what happened after that? TDM realised it at the end. Racial policies and religious bigotry got the better of the human race. Humans ask for very little compared to the zealots mentioned earlier. The latter destroy humans when they separate humanity with vigorous plans. 
