What clear narrative can Harapan offer?

“Government was rarely more than a choice between the disastrous and the unpalatable.” ― Barbara W. Tuchman, The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam

PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar said that Pakatan Harapan needs a clear narrative but I would argue that the problems of Harapan go far beyond needing a clear narrative, which it does by the way. The months of internal squabbling within the party and the collateral damage of dealing with negotiating with PAS has diminished the credibility of the party. Meanwhile, the DAP as the Harapan anchor has had to fend off numerous controversies of its own.

To claim that the opposition is in disarray is an understatement and to most people, it merely seems that this close to the election – whenever it is – the opposition seems to be a coalition of petty fiefdoms existing in an alternate universe where merely belonging in the opposition washes away the sins of the past.

When Nurul says that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak does not talk about his scandals, what this really means is that the Umno grand poohbah is not playing defence. Umno is on the offence when it comes to the corruption scandals that plague this administration. He does not need to talk about them because he understands that these scandals are complicated and that the opposition’s rhetoric that he is an international outcast does not jive with the photo ops that “world leaders” provide for future services rendered.

When this issue of holding this anti-kleptocracy was gaining momentum, I said it was a bad idea – “As it is, this rally will only benefit the Umno regime because it affords them numerous opportunities to point to the dysfunction of the opposition, which means very little in echo chambers online, but is of great influence for people who are sitting on the fence or disillusioned with the opposition and finally, supporters who may not even turn up to vote, much less march on the streets.”

Sure enough, what this rally demonstrated to fence-sitters was that the opposition, even with their "Big Guns", was in disarray and Umno had a field day, shooting fish in a barrel when it comes to the rhetoric emanating from this rally.

Furthermore, when you talk about the opposition being oppressed and the need for people to empathize with the opposition, and the path to this “empathy” is a clear narrative, you are on the wrong path. Here is the thing. People want to believe that politicians empathize with them even if politicians clearly demonstrate that they do not. Therefore, when the people see all the infighting that goes on in the opposition, they translate that to the opposition only being concerned about themselves and political power.

Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia central committee member Tariq Ismail Mustafa said that rural folks need to be convinced that “change” can happen but what exactly does change mean? What are they changing to? Whenever I talk to PSM people, I know exactly what message they are sending to people. A grassroots message that involves how the system oppresses the average citizen, which is linked to the local affairs of the community they are contesting in.

This is why I always said that Harapan is stupid not to involve a grassroots movements like PSM in their strategy, even if it means giving up seats to them and supporting them, because imagine what could be achieved if PSM’s DNA was injected into the opposition body politics. Maybe some people do not want that, which again points to why convincing people that they need to change merely with rhetoric and not action is problematic.

Take this talk of election rigging. Our system has some very serious issues. There is enough literature out there to support the proposition that our election system is compromised. However, when the average citizen sees that the opposition has denied Umno its two third’s majority and won the popular vote, they believe the system works. If the flawed system works than the opposition must be doing something wrong which is what most people would think when they hear opposition types talking about a rigged game.

As someone who believes that the opposition winning the next general election – even this opposition – would be a turning point for Malaysians politics because average citizens would come to understand they have a choice, even if it means at this time, not exactly appealing choices in the people they want to lead this country. In other words, Umno does not have to rule in perpetuity.

But how do we get there? DAP election strategist Ong Kian Ming says that people have to be given two clear choices, the status quo or change. The problem with this is thinking is what happens if people think that the status quo is acceptable?

You know what one Umno strategist is doing. When he talks to rural constituents, he says (and I am paraphrasing here)–

“Yes, there is corruption, and Umno is working on it like they are doing with all the arrests the MACC is making. We are addressing the problem but more importantly, when former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad was in power, there was corruption too, and the country did not become a failed state like what the opposition claims now, and the opposition is trying to damage the economy and your livelihood.”

Now, this is a clear narrative.

When it comes to the Malay demographic, perhaps it time to seriously consider what someone like Rafizi Ramli flirted with, in the beginning of the year – Indeed, when Rafizi says that: “We (the opposition) must honestly accept failings and offer solutions that may be controversial”, it becomes clear that for some Malay politicians, mainstream Malay political dogma is failing the opposition but not Umno. What does putting forth controversial solutions mean?”

When opposition people talk to me, the discussion usually involves in one form or another about the ways and means to propagate a clear message. I always refer to the opposition winning big when they won the popular vote as the perfect storm of political personalities, issues and plain luck.

People wanted to change and they voted opposition because they were fed up with the establishment. Therefore, I keep telling people that it is possible but sometimes people need to see radical departures from the "business as usual" politics. Anyway, it is much too late for that now.

I tell people it is a numbers game. Get more people to vote and overwhelm the establishment with numbers.

It would take a smarter man than me to come up with a clear narrative for the opposition.

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S THAYAPARAN is Commander (Rtd) of the Royal Malaysian Navy.- Mkini