Third Force: Between concept and reality

Malaysians on the whole have more affinity with actual political entities. They are more confident and comforted with a materialised organisational form like a political party. Something that has structure, policies and agenda. On the whole, they are less likely to be attracted to pure concepts such as for example the so called third force in Malaysian politics.

Who or what is the third force in Malaysian politics? Does it exist in materialised form with structure, policies and agendas? Or is the third force more of the projection and extension of personal ideals and beliefs which are not unique anyway to the beholders. The same ideals and belief are better articulated and fought for by organised corporeal political parties.

I seriously doubt if RPK and his band of merry men will make any impact on Malaysian politics. How does it exist? In a substantive corporeal form as a political party or just a third force in concept form?

MCLM or the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement is at the moment a loose association of like-minded individuals moved by the concept of civil liberties and some understanding of what it means to be democratic. And at the moment, democratic means anything BUT Barisan Nasional or Umno’s policies.

I am not trivialising the motivations of these well intentioned individuals. The issues raised and the concerns voiced are undoubtedly pertinent and very relevant. But perhaps more suited to discussions in the PJ Civic Centre or maybe in the private rooms at La Bodega or the terraces of private clubs in Kuala Lumpur. Or in the forums attended by starry-eyed university students.

And where will the likely constituencies of the MCLM be? Probably more suited to urban constituencies in small pockets of socially conscious groupings such as NGO movements, liberal PTAs, something like that.

They will face formidable competition from established political groupings such as PR, which is something more solid than just some intellectualised concept.

Malaysians with well-grounded political experience based on political parties that exist in form and substance are likely to stay away from a nebulous concept of a third force. What are its agendas? Its plans? Other than a coalition of individuals with a pronounced disgruntled objection to Umno and BN.

Even the re-emergence of Datuk Zaid Ibrahim in a renamed political party will not make any difference in Malaysian politics. Zaid Ibrahim and his self-sustaining politicians and candidates will not stand a chance in the coming elections.

The optimism of third force entities and Zaid’s party is based on a misreading of our political mood.

The misreading stems perhaps fro over reading and unbounded optimism attached to the results of the 13th general election. I say perhaps we have over-read the support for opposition parties as being a permanent shift.

As such I think, there will a shift back of allegiance to BN and notably Umno. When that shift happens, the casualties will the MCLM and parties such as headed by Zaid Ibrahim.

Umno and BN will not be able to recapture old political territories but they may be able to recover some lost ground. Umno’s success at that will depend on several factors but that will not be discussed here.

Where is the third force really? In my opinion the actual third force in Malaysian politics are the political parties in Sabah and Sarawak. They have tasted blood and they now know they can be the kingmaker in Malaysian politics. Whichever political parties win in Peninsula Malaysia will have to factor in the Sabah and Sarawak politicians and will have to accommodate them. — sakmongkol.blogspot.com

* Sakmongkol AK47 is the nom de plume of Datuk Mohd Ariff Sabri Hj Abdul Aziz. He was Pulau Manis assemblyman (2004-2008).