“Show me a hero, and I'll write you a tragedy.”
- F Scott Fitzgerald
Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli said that he was not going to contest the 16th general election on a PKR ticket, but (from reportage) “… winning is not necessarily a major objective for him”.
“Instead, his objective is to ensure the survival of progressive multi-racial politics and continuous political change.”
In this case, the former PKR deputy president should eschew the drama that comes with PKR scheming to get him out and quit Madani.
Rafizi finally took his shot against Prime Minister and PKR president Anwar Ibrahim. No more sniping from the sidelines.
He has essentially said that Anwar is obsessed with being in power and doesn’t care for the sacrifices others have made to get him in the Putrajaya hot seat.
Mind you, Rafizi just described nearly every politician in this country, but I get his point.
Propping up Anwar
Also, keep in mind that Rafizi has done his fair share of propping up Anwar and PKR.
Back in the rancid days of the PKR elections, which he lost, Rafizi had to remind his opponent, Nurul Izzah Anwar, not to revise history when she denied or downplayed his involvement in the 2018 electoral seat negotiations with the old maverick, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, with Rafizi voluntarily taking on the role as “bad guy”.
Anwar is a special case. We have all carried water for Anwar, including this writer, and his failure to reform the system has splashed back on us in a big way.
Rafizi has made it clear that he really doesn’t need all the aggravation that comes with politics, unlike his one-time comrade.
I mean, four years ago, when PKR was out in the cold, Rafizi was warning folks not to be bootlickers when it came to Anwar.
Fast forward a few years, and nobody really paid attention to Rafizi, and when he said those words, he was Anwar’s right hand.
Rafizi said that he wants PKR to sack him because under the party’s constitution, a sacked member retains his seat, while a member who resigns would have their seat vacated.
Pointing out the emperor has no clothes
Here is the thing, though. I have no idea what purpose it serves for Rafizi to remain an MP since Madani has the support it needs from the so-called “progressive wing” - DAP - of the coalition.
Truth be told, I was shocked when people who support progressive politics emailed me with long diatribes of how Rafizi is rocking the boat.
As someone who has no problem rocking the boat, I assumed that folks would be happy when Rafizi points out that the emperor has no clothes.
It says a lot about the progressive forces in this country that Rafizi does not get the support he needs from the progressive wing of Madani.
In fact, the narrative that he is a political operative peddling his sour grapes overrides whatever he says about reform and the failures of the audacity-of-hope type of politics.
When Rafizi was on the campaign stump for the PKR elections, he exposed all sorts of chicanery, which put PKR in the light it deserved.
From claiming the fix is in when it comes to this election for the second-highest post, from the various snubbings of party pow-wows to claiming bots are used, much like Umno does to amplify messaging on social media.
Where does Rafizi stand?
Rafizi was all over the place in painting why the rakyat should not vote for PKR.
He was right to draw attention to personality politics, but his big ideas depend on the political support from his party and comrades, which has changed with the ascension of Madani.
You need a strong personality to do that, especially since you have a generation of young leaders who want to “inherit” from their elders instead of taking over and establishing a political agenda of their own.
Rafizi’s supporters have told me that by sticking with his MP gig, he can continue to build on the momentum he created, and this would be a tactical advantage when defending his seat. He needs to be the rakyat’s eyes and ears, they tell me.
In his posting about his return to active political life, Rafizi made it clear he wants to stake out the multiethnic middle ground.
What this means remains to be seen, especially since the various parties in Madani adhere to the old Umno/BN formula, which Harapan (especially the DAP) always downplays with the Bangsa Malaysia kool-aid.
The fact is that what Rafizi offers obviously does not resonate with PKR’s grassroots, and this says more about what the party has become rather than his ideas, which, for the most part, are utilitarian in nature and would benefit the bumiputera community.
Rafizi talks about a culture of luxury seeping into PKR. He talks about how new members are only there for the positions and perks.
The way Rafizi paints it, who needs Umno when there is PKR?
Folks these days are struggling with issues, and they have very little time for the internal politics of PKR. Anwar knows this, and he is correct in focusing on the economic storm coming our way.
All this makes the drama that Rafizi is creating seem self-serving, which is what the narratives of Madani and their cyber warriors are peddling.
Rafizi claims that moves are being made in his Pandan seat to oust him from the halls of Putrajaya.
As he said, “We can’t really be surprised if they go ahead and do it anyway, even though there shouldn’t be a by-election - I mean, this is the Madani era.”
This is why he should roll the dice and quit PKR instead of being forced out in some underhanded manner, which would go unnoticed because Malaysians mudah lupa.
The only reckoning or repudiation Madani will understand is if Rafizi wins as an independent. - Mkini
S THAYAPARAN is Commander (Rtd) of the Royal Malaysian Navy. Fīat jūstitia ruat cælum - “Let justice be done though the heavens fall.”
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.
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