Challenge for Bersama in getting enough traction to be a third force

 

YOURSAY | 'It's just enough to split Harapan votes.'

'Kamikaze' no more, Bersama to go for Selangor's jugular in next polls

OrangeMouse9413: I do sympathise with Bersama. There are two paths forward:

(a) Support Bersama in building a credible third force that isn't beholden to the corrupt system or status quo, à la the Orange Shirts in Thailand, which became a political force amid disillusionment with the yellow- and red-shirt parties.

Even if they can't form the government, every party has to start somewhere. But I have doubts about whether they have the leadership capabilities to reach those heights.

(b) Bersama fails to gain enough traction to become a political third force, but does just enough to split the vote with Pakatan Harapan, condemning both to heavy losses and ushering the Blue-Green alliance into power in Selangor with a landslide.

Blue Skies: Bersama co-founder Rafizi Ramli should remember how difficult it was to get PKR accepted by voters, even with its "reformasi" slogans.

It wasn't a flash in the pan. It was built on the sacrifices of its founding members and those who came after.

It was a black day for his supporters in PKR when he resigned after losing to Nurul Izzah Anwar. He should have fought on. Nurul is now quite the forgotten winner, and that was his opportunity to reclaim the post.

Bersama has good ideals, but politics is always about repositioning one's strength and teaming up with enemies when necessary. So go on and win the Malay vote. Fighting for non-Malay votes is a losing cause, à la Muda.

OrangeCat19: Bersama lost its deposits in Johor and Negeri Sembilan. It does not have broad-based appeal. It is urban- and liberal-centric. Now it says it is targeting Selangor rather than other states?

Clearly, we now know its main political rival is Harapan, not Perikatan Nasional or BN. Its main objective is to split Harapan's vote.

It doesn't appeal to the majority of non-Malay voters, who know that voting for Bersama could usher in BN, PAS, or PN for the next decade.

Undecided: OrangeCat, I believe you are right. This is because the more patient and realistic Harapan supporters want Harapan to lead for another term before deciding.

This is even more so now that PN has decided to collaborate with BN. My biggest worry is that Bersama will be seen as a spoiler in the 16th general election, and the results will bear this out.

Bersama will never become a political force to be reckoned with.

BluePony6485: There are many commentators here who are angry at Bersama. The objections are mostly about splitting Harapan's vote and enabling PAS. But what is the solution for someone like me who no longer trusts PKR but cannot bring myself to vote for BN or PAS?

Sure, I can vote for DAP, but it will never be accepted by the majority and therefore cannot bring about the changes I want for Malaysia. I don't know if I have any other choice but to cast my vote for Bersama.

OrangeGoat5810: Ask Bersama to challenge areas where, as you say, DAP or any progressive party will be rejected. They won't do that. That is where the battle is. They are not strengthening the progressives; they are weakening them.

Boboi: Naysayers can nay all they want. As a voter, I want good, principled governance. Harapan was given its chance to steer this unity government. It let us down.

On the big issues, it was feeble. Why, it even tried to shroud them – former MACC director Azam Baki, corporate mafia, Felda-Tabung Haji-UiTM, the Foreign Workers Centralised Management System and numerous others now emerging.

Actually, I had already made up my mind when former chief justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat retired without any extension being offered to her. That one person who really did her job, they turned their backs on.

Sure, you can try scaring voters into fearing the Blue or Green Wave. But really, Harapan isn't all that different anymore. If you can stomach the status quo, go ahead. I'm not a by-default voter. I'm done with Coke and Pepsi. Bring on Bersama.

Oh, fear not. I'm scrutinising Bersama closely and constantly – not just the party and its leadership, but the conduct of its members.

What's more, I'm setting the bar even higher than for the major coalitions precisely because I hate being duped again. It ain't heaven on earth, but I'm more than satisfied so far. That's just me. You do you.

As for the evidence sought, I guess there are people who actually do their research before shooting from the hip – it's kind of second nature. I hate misinformation myself.

BrownJaguar5869: Boboi, I want principled governance too. The issues you listed deserve answers, and supporting this government does not mean giving it a blank cheque.

But listing controversies does not, by itself, prove that every allegation is true or that the government concealed them.

On Maimun, she reached the mandatory retirement age. You can disagree with the decision not to extend her tenure, but saying "they turned their backs because she did her job" is a conclusion that needs evidence.

And Bersama should face the same scrutiny. What is its programme? Who will implement it? And how will it secure the support needed to govern? Those are reasonable questions for anyone asking for our votes.

You are entitled to withdraw your support from Harapan. But your disappointment does not automatically establish Bersama's competence. - Mkini