PETALING JAYA: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) surpreme council member Datuk Zaid Ibrahim (pic) has made a scathing attack on the party, accusing it of being "scared" to act against Kulim-Bandar Baharu MP Zulkifli Noordin.

In his blog at myzaidibrahim.wordpress.com this morning, the articulate former Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, who had called on PKR to sack Zulkifli for lodging a police report against Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad over the 'allah' issue, said it was clear to him that the party was unable to defend its principles in dealing with Zulkifli.

“PKR today is not that different from Umno; just the mold or just a poor man’s version of’ Umno,” he said.

“We are incapable of being a party to bring reforms to national politics and administration if we can’t settle the Zulkifli Noordin issue in the appropriate way."

Zaid said he was baffled why PKR was fearful of taking action against Zulkifli, a decision party insiders worry can alienate the lawyer's supporters, "as if he is untouchable".

"He is popular among the Malays for his so-called wide knowledge on Islamic issues. But still, he is not a hero.

His attitude, actions and words resemble nothing but 'jaguh-jaguh Umno' (champions of Umno)," Zaid wrote.

“It’s strange that Zulkifli Noordin is ‘untouchable’ in the party; one wonders why there is something special here. That is why he can criticise anyone as a ‘Little Napoleon’ or those who are powerless, people like me ."

Zaid, who described Zulkifli's action in lodging the police report against Khalid as "a form of intimidation".

"What he did was nothing but to draw a picture that PKR and Pakatan Rakyat had turned their backs on the Muslims and Raja Melayu for giving 'the nod' to non-Muslims to humiliate Islam, especially with the issue regarding the usage of 'allah'.

“For me, if we are not confident of our stand in the ‘allah’ issue and other issues brought by Zulkifli Noordin, then just follow Umno and Zulkifli Noordin.

But if we are confident and we hold to principles in the Federal Constitution, and the religious scholars, we must persist with our stand.

“Until when do we want to play politics in two worlds, sticking to one principle there and switching to another here?”

The PKR political bureau on Monday night slapped a gag order on Zulkifli for lodging the report against Khalid.

PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had said the bureau had also referred Zulkifli to a disciplinary panel for further action within 30 days.

The Malay Mail yesterday front-paged a report that Zulkifli was firm on his stand on the 'allah' issue, and that he was ready "for any possibility".

Zulkifli took a swipe at PKR and Anwar, saying that he was "a Muslim first and party member second".

In a posting in his blog zul4kulim.blogspot.com, the lawyer had said the use of the world 'allah' in the Malay edition of the Catholic publication Herald was "an issue that threatened the social fabric of Malaysia and was not a political matter.

"I don't bow down to Anwar, PKR or anyone. God willing, if they sack me, then I'll keep my options open," he had said.

"I have firmly stated that I will never compromise on this issue on the wrong usage of the word 'allah'. I am prepared for any possibility."

Zulkifli last Saturday lodged his police report against Khalid for saying that a Selangor enactment which prohibited non-Muslims from using the word 'allah' and other Islamic terms was outdated.

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