Zaid: I know how Seng Giaw feels

Former law minister feels he’s on similar footing with axed DAP stalwart

PETALING JAYA: Former law minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, now with DAP, says he sympathises with party stalwart Dr Tan Seng Giaw who has been axed from the GE14 line-up.

“Dr Tan’s departure from politics is a big miss, I like him. We are both from Bachok, Kelantan; both never abrasive or loud in Parliament,” Zaid wrote on his Twitter account on Tuesday.

“He was dumped after 30 years, I was done by just after 12 months. It must have hurt him a lot more,” Zaid added.

Zaid, who joined DAP in February last year, was alluding to the fact that he has not received any offers to contest in GE14 despite repeatedly voicing his intention to participate.

In January, Zaid also took to Twitter to say that he was left out of the Pakatan Harapan convention.

Zaid told The Star he has accepted that he will not contest in the general election.

“I’d rather stay out of it (the gen- eral election) as I am a bit old and overweight and not in a position to be a good candidate, so it is better if I stay out,” Zaid said.

“My family loves that I am out of the elections,” he added jokingly.

Zaid said he would not accept any last-minute offer to be fielded as a candidate.

“I am not Superman who can just jump in.

“I need a couple of months to prepare,” he said.

He added that he will remain a DAP member for now and will review the situation after the election.

Dr Tan, an eight-term Kepong MP, was dropped from the election lineup in favour of two-term Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng.

Dr Tan, the former Selangor DAP chairman, first won the seat in 1982 and has held it ever since.