RAFIZI RAMLI SPEAKS
JUSTICE ELECTION 2022
The recent Johor State Election (Johor PRN) results confirmed that KEADILAN and Pakatan Harapan have become the third party after Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional. The results should be accepted with openness and humility by all Malaysians who support the progressive political ideals brought by KEADILAN and Pakatan Harapan.
This is the fourth consecutive defeat in a series of state elections. Every time KEADILAN and Pakatan Harapan suffer defeat, apart from blaming each other, until now there has been no different strategy to win back the hearts of the people.
The only strategy that has been repeated is the “big tent” approach to unite all the parties competing with UMNO/Barisan Nasional. Most recently, I was informed that the Pakatan Harapan Presidential Council has agreed to take the approach of discussing with Perikatan Nasional on the possibility of working together in the 15th General Election (GE15).
Although there is no sign of this “big tent” approach yielding any results so far, it remains the only way the Pakatan Harapan leadership is considering, as if the entire Pakatan Harapan leadership has lost its mind, to regain the people’s trust.
JUSTICE and Pakatan Harapan won the 14th General Election (GE14) because the issues brought up at that time were close to the people. The people understood the impact of Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak’s administration at that time on their daily lives and future. The people were also interested in several solutions brought up to solve the economic problems faced.
The series of events that occurred after GE14 convinced some people (especially voters on the fence) that the political conflict at the national leadership level is only about the distribution of power among themselves. Regardless of which political coalition is in power, ultimately their lives will not change. What will change is who becomes a minister and gets the privileges that come with the position.
That is why UMNO/Barisan Nasional can win in style while the people’s support at the ballot box has not changed much since 2018. In a situation where the majority of voters on the fence feel that KEADILAN and Pakatan Harapan are no longer any different from UMNO/Barisan Nasional or Perikatan Nasional, the majority of them are experiencing political fatigue. They are sick of political issues because there is no significant difference from the political coalitions.
This political fatigue also stems from the various tactics used by political ideologies to gain power after the 14th GE.
At the Federal level, UMNO and BERSATU can share power but curse each other outside. PAS can embrace UMNO for power (despite being enemies for so long), then curse each other back also because of power. KEADILAN can be played alive by UMNO’s trickery to supposedly support KEADILAN’s candidate to become Prime Minister, as if KEADILAN does not know who UMNO is. DAP states that BERSATU’s betrayal undermines the people’s mandate, but DAP is also the one who brokered the MOU understanding to retain the Prime Minister from BERSATU (then continuing with the Prime Minister from UMNO).
The latest view is that Pakatan Harapan should find a way to work together with Perikatan Nasional.
In the eyes of politicians, this is a strategy to increase their chances of winning elections. In the eyes of ordinary people, Malaysian politics has become a drama of Family 69 as the late P Ramlee once said.
I have had little interest in politics since I was a child. I do not aspire to accept public office because it is a responsibility. If we are not confident that we can shoulder a trust, it is better to give way to someone else.
Since 2019, I have voiced my disagreement with the madness of forming coalitions (with anyone regardless of the people’s sentiments) for the sake of gaining power. My voice has become a minority voice among the KEADILAN leadership, let alone among Pakatan Harapan.
I take responsibility that I cannot remain in leadership whose strategies and decisions I do not agree with. If I remain, then I must support those decisions. If I do not support them, I cannot remain part of the leadership. This is the fundamental principle of accountability.
That is why I am very happy to return to life as an ordinary citizen and give full space to the leadership of KEADILAN and Pakatan Harapan to win back the hearts of the people to take the reins of the country’s administration. If they are confident that the tactic of bringing in any Member of Parliament who is willing to switch allegiance (in order to meet the support figures) can restore the Pakatan Harapan administration and thus increase the chances of winning GE15, I am equally happy (although I do not want to be involved).
Unfortunately, from one camp to another, this fanaticism towards the political coalition strategy is further distancing KEADILAN and Pakatan Harapan from the people. When today we criticize and then tomorrow we date the person we criticize, over time the people feel that this is all just a drama of Family 69. Moreover, when too much focus is placed on forming a coalition, efforts to lift the people’s suffering and offer solutions become increasingly silent.
I continue to receive pressure from KEADILAN and Pakatan Harapan supporters from among ordinary people to return to the political arena. It took me a long time because I was not confident I could help the situation in a situation where my views were the minority views among the KEADILAN and Pakatan Harapan leadership.
I think the madness of garnering support at the top level until KEADILAN and Pakatan Harapan appear detached and rigid from the voice of the people will be punished by the people. If KEADILAN and Pakatan Harapan want to win back the hearts of the people, go back to fighting hard to make the people’s daily lives easier. Don’t just point fingers, bring sensible solutions to convince the people that their lives can be better if they choose KEADILAN and Pakatan Harapan.
This kind of effort to win the hearts of the people is more tiring than discussing at the negotiating table or in expensive restaurants about political alliances. That’s why I understand why it’s easier to choose the path of joining politics than winning the hearts of the people.
After the Johor state election results, I realized that KEADILAN and Pakatan Harapan were rejected by the people to the point of falling into the third coalition after UMNO/Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional.
I have been a member of KEADILAN since 1999 because I believe that the future of Malaysia is a progressive, multi-racial future with a diverse image of ideas. My contribution in establishing Pakatan Harapan in 2015 was not simply for the sake of winning the election, I was determined to ensure that the progressive multi-racial politics in this country could be maintained at that time.
In my view, with the latest developments, multi-racial progressive politics is in danger if KEADILAN and Pakatan Harapan continue to be the third party because they fail to attract voters on the fence.
With that realization, I have decided to rejoin the political arena by confirming that I will contest for the position of Deputy President of KEADILAN in the upcoming elections.
RAFIZI RAMLI
Former Member of Parliament for Pandan