Zaid steps down as senator.

PUTRAJAYA: Former minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Zaid Ibrahim has resigned as senator.

His decision to give up his seat in the Dewan Negara came after he quit the cabinet in mid-September.

Zaid, who was the minister in charge of law, said yesterday he submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad not long ago as it was the right thing to do since he was no longer a member of the Barisan Nasional government.

The decision, he said, also had to do with his desire to focus on a foundation he was setting up to foster better race relations.

Although the maverick lawyer and outspoken former Kota Baru …