An academic showdown has erupted, with P Ramasamy accusing Tajuddin Rasdi of clutching at flimsy excuses to defend Anwar Ibrahim and Pakatan Harapan’s reform agenda.
With a sharp jab, the Urimai chairperson and former political science lecturer also described the architecture professor as the prime minister’s “academic cheerleader”.
“Instead of addressing substantial reforms, Tajuddin cited trivial examples: public criticism of Anwar, Najib Abdul Razak’s imprisonment, and students questioning the prime minister.
“These are not hallmarks of reform - they are mere symptoms of a society in motion, not necessarily a government with reformist intent.
“Tajuddin’s defence amounts to grasping at straws. His examples are mundane and miss the larger point: true reform involves systemic change, not incidental events. His arguments read more like the apologetics of a loyalist than the critique of an independent thinker,” he said.
‘Conflating anecdotes with structural reform’
Ramasamy said Tajuddin also failed to address the “most pressing contradiction of all” - Anwar’s reported pursuit of legal immunity from civil suits.
“No previous prime minister has sought such a shield. Can a man claiming to champion reforms simultaneously seek to place himself above accountability?
“Tajuddin, though an academic, demonstrates a worrying lack of analytical rigour. He conflates everyday occurrences with structural reform.
“Reformasi was never about anecdotal progress - it was about institutional overhaul, accountability, and the dismantling of entrenched power networks.
“Tajuddin and those like him would do well to apply a more objective lens. The Madani government cannot claim reformist legitimacy while entrenching familial politics and insulating its leader from legal scrutiny.
“The death of reformasi is not just symbolic - it’s systemic,” he added.
Yesterday, Tajuddin had cited several examples to defend reformasi after Umno supreme council member Puad Zarkashi described it as an empty slogan following former PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli’s resignation from his cabinet post.
‘Puad is right, reformasi is dead’
However, Ramasamy said while he is opposed to Puad, he has to concede, “with much hesitation, that the Umno leader is right”.
“The exit of Rafizi from his post as economy minister, following his loss in the party election, is a clear indication that reformasi - once the rallying cry of the opposition - is now a relic of the past.
“What was once a bold agenda for democratic renewal has faded into political opportunism and family consolidation,” he added.
The former DAP leader argued that reformasi served as a “convenient facade” for Anwar during his years in the political wilderness.
“Now in power, Anwar and his allies seem to have abandoned the reformist ideals they once championed. The pursuit of power and privilege has reshaped the ruling party into one that bears little resemblance to its reformist origins.
“The most glaring betrayal of reformasi lies in the party’s embrace of nepotism. The ascension of Anwar’s daughter, Nurul Izzah, to the position of PKR deputy president is emblematic of the party’s shift from reformist principles to dynastic politics. If this isn’t nepotism, then what is?” he asked.
Anwar has denied the nepotism allegations, pointing out that PKR members had elected his daughter to be his party's deputy president. - Mkini
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