PH and Muda: this season’s most riveting will-they-won’t-they

 

It felt inevitable, didn’t it? Official discussions between Pakatan Harapan and Muda have begun at long last, with Muda potentially becoming the fifth official member of the opposition coalition.

If you couldn’t tell before that an election was looming, here’s yet another sign.

You don’t start batting down the hatches unless you expect a storm, and it looks like PH is readying itself for just that when it eventually does battle against Barisan Nasional (and Perikatan Nasional, I suppose, if you rate their prospects higher than I do).

A union between PH and Muda has always made plenty of sense for both sides. Despite public squabbling and disagreements over certain issues, they have plenty in common. The pair have looked like Jim and Pam, Sam and Diane, or any one of your favourite sitcom romances: a case of ‘will they’ or ‘won’t they’.

Muda is led by former PH wunderkind Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman, who while with the now exiled Bersatu became the youngest ever minister when PH first claimed power in 2018.

And PH wrote the anti-corruption campaign playbook that Muda and plenty of others have adopted in the years since BN forced its way back into government in 2020.

Much like those in a protracted TV relationship, these two need each other more than they would care to admit (publicly or to each other).

With BN looking like heavy election favourites, PH is in dire need of inspiration and support. Poor showings at the last few state elections exposed cracks in the coalition, and Muda could swing a handful of seats their way.

Muda on the other hand badly needs the legitimacy PH affords it. Beyond Syed Saddiq, the youth-based party lacks box office appeal and brand recognition, two areas which latching on to PH’s pedigree would help to address.

What’s the hold up? In all likelihood, both sides are prioritising perfection over progress. Each will have come to the table with demands, some more unreasonable than others: what a union looks like will hinge on what each is willing to give up.

I’d be shocked if Muda hasn’t insisted on a cabinet role for Syed Saddiq, as they should. Even with his startup of a party, the Muar MP is still the most recognisable next-generation face in politics. He also brings the sort of “activist appeal” that powered PH to victory at the last election, an image that has persisted despite his ongoing graft case.

He’s also one of the opposition’s most recognisable figures, youth appeal aside. I’d even entertain arguments that, other than Anwar Ibrahim, he might be the most “famous” politician not in the government today.

Adding him is a no-brainer, it’s the rest of Muda that would be holding up the deal, because once we skip past him, who’s left?

Lim Wei Jiet is probably the next best shout, but there’s a cavern between the size of his profile and that of Syed Saddiq. Muda may feel confident about contesting multiple seats, but PH would have every right to insist upon not ceding any of the constituencies it had secured last time out.

Without a proven track record at elections, how much value can Muda guarantee it will add aside from its headlining member?

I’d put money on the two sides finding a way to coexist come GE15, even if only as a matter of convenience. The terms of collaboration will be interesting, as each side should feel a sense of urgency in making it a reality.

With an election possible before the year is up, neither has time to hold out for the perfect conditions. But then again, there’s no such thing as a perfect relationship, not in politics nor on TV.

Compromise is always a foregone conclusion, and progress always trumps perfection. - FMT

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