Warisan complements political transformation

 

From P Ramasamy

This is the first time in history a political process has been reversed in the country. This is the case of the bold entrance of Warisan from Sabah, going national, thus shedding its regional or parochial interests.

There had been talk for some time that Warisan would be making its appearance in the peninsula, but things appeared uncertain.

However, with the announcement of Muda joining the opposition camp of Warisan, it was just a matter of time.

On Dec 17, the party made its grand entrance in Kuala Lumpur, promising that it would work with Malaysians to deliver them from the evils of racism and religious extremism.

It was announced that Warisan would be a party for all — for the Malays divided by Umno and PAS, and for the Chinese and Indians caught in the archaic representations of MCA and MIC.

It was just like what former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore said on the eve of his country’s independence in 1965 – that the country was for all Singaporeans, immaterial of their ancestry or background.

Warisan’s president Shafie Apdal is not a newcomer to politics. He successfully guided Warisan’s victory in Sabah with the cooperation of Pakatan Harapan.

He emerged as a national figure so much so that some quarters even suggested him as the prime ministerial candidate, an alternative to PKR’s Anwar Ibrahim.

Warisan’s call to move away from the grips of racial and religious extremism might suggest that the party might want to be an alternative to parties such as the DAP and PKR.

Shafie even suggested that parties proclaiming themselves as multiracial are not really so in the true sense of the term.

It is not clear as to how the party is going to deal with and overcome the extremely divisive fissures, such as race and religion.

Many parties in the past might have tried but were swallowed by these divisions.

In overcoming the existing perennial divisions, Warisan needs to first conceptualise and articulate the problems before overcoming them in a political process.

Support for the party might not be automatic as social divisions are much more deep and stubborn to be removed.

It is a lot more difficult and perilous to overcome these man-made divisions in the peninsula rather than in Sabah or Sarawak.

It appears that Warisan is moving with much interest and zeal.

There is already apprehension from fraternal parties in the peninsula that the support base for Warisan might not be too different from theirs.

It is too early to raise speculative fears about the entry of Warisan and whether its expansion might pose a threat to existing parties in the opposition.

Warisan is a multiracial party that seeks to overcome the impermeable divisions and unite Malaysians from all walks of life.

There is nothing wrong or objectionable for it to make this call.

It should be welcomed.

Malaysian politics is getting more complex. No one party can command the support of all Malaysians due to ethnic and religious divisions.

The chances of Warisan joining forces with other opposition parties are real, something to be welcomed and promoted.

Hopefully, Warisan will not engage in displacement politics, but politics of joining forces with like-minded forces in a complex political process.

The stronger the forces in fighting the politics of sectarianism, the chances are better to transform the political system.

In this respect, I welcome the entry of Warisan into the politics of the peninsula with the aim of political transformation. - FMT

P Ramasamy is a Penang deputy chief minister.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.