PETALING JAYA: Datuk Zaid Ibrahim (pic) has been reminded by his new political allies not to be a “prima donna” or a “frog”.

Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he hoped Zaid will stay in DAP.

“I hope he will stay in DAP a little bit longer,” Dr Mahathir quipped when asked to say a few word following a press conference held at Zaid’s home in Tropicana Golf Resort to mark his entry into DAP Tuesday.

“The problem is that in this country, we have a race of frogs.

“These frogs, they like to hop here, hop there and when I try to catch one, they’ve already hopped somewhere else,” he added.

Zaid was suspended by Umno in 2008 but sacked automatically after joining PKR in June 2009.

However, Zaid had a fallout with the PKR leadership and formed Parti Kesejahteraan Insan Tanah Air in December 2010, where he eventually resigned as president due to internal squabbling.

According to Dr Mahathir, the culture of hopping from one party to another should be eradicated.

DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang said that many had asked why Zaid was joining DAP and how long he will stay in the party.

“I have known Zaid for a long time and I know his political thinking, and he knows what is right and good for the nation.

“If there are any defects, it is that he will be a team player and not a prima donna,” he said, drawing laughter from all those present.

Lim said there was a lesson that could be learned from Zaid’s past, which is why he believes the former law minister will be a team player in DAP.

Earlier, Zaid said he is joining DAP to bring the party’s message of equality and justice to Malays who have been told that DAP is a chauvinistic Chinese party.

Appointed minister in March 2008, Zaid resigned from the Cabinet six months later following his criticism of the then Internal Security Act being used against DAP’s Seputeh MP Teresa Kok, journalist Tan Hoon Chen and blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin.-thestar