‘Third Force’ will benefit BN, say activists

Many see the Third Force as an Umno idea to unsettle Pakatan

KUALA LUMPUR— The influx of independent candidates in the next general election could split votes and hand victory to the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) if there are multi-cornered fights, political and social activists say.

The “Third Force” initiative by the newly-set up Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) wants to offer up to 30 candidates to PKR but will go it alone if Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s party rejects the overture.

“The concerns mainly were on the three-cornered fights,” a social activist told The Malaysian Insider, after MCLM held a closed-door briefing with selected NGOs on its independent candidate initiative yesterday.

Straight fights between Pakatan Rakyat (PR) parties and BN in Election 2008 led to the opposition pact’s historic victory of 82 federal seats and four more states. PKR forms PR with DAP and PAS but a series of defections have cast a shadow over its selection process.

“People do not want BN to take it (the initiative) as a platform to benefit them,” she said, requesting anonymity due to MCLM’s prohibition on talking to the press about the briefing.

Another social activist pointed out that those present at the meeting had mixed views towards the MCLM independent candidate initiative.

“Different people had different opinions. It was still not very clear how the independent candidate initiative will work,” she said.

“Will the political parties accept? If the political parties do not accept, they said they will let the people decide. What does that mean?” she asked.

The social activist, who also requested anonymity, pointed out that independent candidates would prevent PR from unseating the ruling coalition in Putrajaya.

“If there is BN, Pakatan and an independent (contesting in a federal seat), then my own vision of wanting a change of government will not happen,” she said.

“I will only support the initiative if the parties take them as candidates,” she added.

PKR leaders have remained undecided over MCLM’s plans to propose a slate of election candidates for the party, preferring to stick to its internal process.

Newly-appointed PKR legal bureau chief Latheefa Koya has described the move to force PKR to accept a list of outsiders as candidates as unfair.

Movement for Change Sarawak (MoCS) chief Francis Paul Siah, however, claimed today that three-cornered fights were inevitable.

“There were some concerns about three-cornered fights. But we also realised that three-cornered fights are something that we can’t prevent because other people may come in,” Siah told The Malaysian Insider.

“Even BN may put up independent candidates to split the vote. Other groups or individuals may also contest, like Hindraf Makkal Sakthi,” he said.

Siah voiced support of MCLM’s move to offer strong candidates who would not switch allegiance in case PR forms the next federal government.

“Yes, I support 100 per cent. It is part of MoCS’s agenda for change. It is high time people started bringing more quality candidates to Parliament. There will be careful scrutinising of candidates,” he said.

Siah added that about 40 people from various NGOs attended today’s briefing chaired by MCLM president Haris Ibrahim, a well-known lawyer and blogger.

Self-exiled blogger and activist Raja Petra Kamarudin, who is the MCLM chairman, named prominent human rights activist Malik Imtiaz Sarwar (picture) last Sunday as the first MCLM candidate for the coming general election.

The lawyer is best known for representing Lina Joy, a Malay Muslim who sought to convert out of Islam into Christianity.

Social activist Maria Chin Abdullah also backed the MCLM initiative as she claimed that some lawmakers from both sides of the political divide were not high standard politicians.

“The standard is not there... for MPs from both sides. If we want to have really good laws being debated and have changes at the state level and council level, perhaps we have to start thinking of people who really represent the people’s interest,” she said, highlighting the “People’s Declaration”.

Haris’ group of activists and bloggers were behind a manifesto called the People’s Declaration that was endorsed by all PR parties ahead of the 12th general election.

They have also been campaigning against BN since before Election 2008 that saw the ruling coalition losing its two-thirds parliamentary majority for the first time.

The group was also influential in mobilising urban voters to back PR candidates in 2008.

Haris has said negotiations with “non-BN parties” would start next month.

He added that the candidates would only contest as independents if PR parties could not offer better candidates.

Chin downplayed concerns of three-cornered fights should MCLM candidates contest as independents.

“It may lead to that (split votes). But I think the idea of presenting these independent candidates is really for Pakatan Rakyat to take them on as alternative candidates who will be able to deliver. They are solid in terms of the reform agenda, and therefore Pakatan Rakyat should be able to take on these candidates,” she said.

Chin noted that getting rid of “draconian” laws like the Internal Security Act (ISA) and addressing police abuse cases were among MCLM’s reform agenda.

When pointed out that PR may reject the MCLM candidates, Chin replied: “That still has to be seen.”

MCLM was set up in October by a group of Malaysians based in London.

The political group will announce its second independent candidate next Tuesday during its first public forum in the city here.