Dear Tony Pua: Stop blaming Bersama; PH needs to look in the mirror

 

DEAR Tony,

I used to support you. I defended you when you came under attack over the LRT3 project and when you said royal powers have constitutional limits.

I still remember your first ceramah in SS2 back in 2008, when few believed you could defeat MCA’s Chew Mei Fun. You spoke about the price of milk powder and everyday concerns affecting ordinary Malaysians. You came across as humble and grounded.

That’s why I was disappointed to read your comments blaming Bersama for Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) poor showing in the Johor election.

Let’s be honest about what happened.

Bersama secured very few votes and, according to Malaysiakini‘s analysis, only affected the outcome in two marginal seats. The bigger factor was the transfer of PAS votes to UMNO under their electoral understanding.

So why recycle the old “vote-splitting” narrative?

It reminds me of MCA’s favourite line years ago: “Don’t vote DAP or you’ll split the Chinese vote.” Back then, DAP rightly rejected that argument. Today, it sounds like PH is using the very same playbook.

Wouldn’t it be better to acknowledge where PH itself has fallen short?

Many voters aren’t upset because Bersama exists. They’re disappointed because reforms promised in 2018 and again in 2022 remain unfinished. Instead of dismissing Bersama as “vote splitters”, why not debate them on the issues?

Can PH explain why institutional reforms continue to move so slowly? Can it convince voters that anti-corruption efforts have gone far enough? Can it show that political financing and governance reforms remain genuine priorities?

These are the conversations many former PH supporters want to hear.

The easiest response is to blame someone else. The harder, but more honest, response is to ask why some voters have become disillusioned.

PH should also be careful not to underestimate its supporters.

Many Chinese voters may be pragmatic, but that doesn’t mean they blindly follow simple slogans about “splitting votes”. They want results. They want reforms. Above all, they want to know whether the ideals PH once championed still matter today.

Here’s another way of looking at it.

If PH were running a café, it should be telling customers how delicious its food is. Instead, it sometimes sounds like this: “Our food isn’t as good as it used to be, but don’t eat at the other café because there are flies there.”

That’s hardly an inspiring sales pitch.

I say this as someone who genuinely believed in PH.

In 2008, I campaigned for PKR’s Eli Wong. I stood in the pouring rain at ceramahs in TTDI listening to promises of meaningful reform. In 2018, I trudged through muddy fields to attend the mega rally at Datuk Keramat because I believed real change was finally within reach.

Many supporters made similar sacrifices because they believed PH would do  politics differently.

That is why today’s disappointment runs so deep.

Whether Bersama succeeds politically is beside the point. If it continues pushing PH to pursue reforms more seriously, then it is performing the role that DAP itself once played as an opposition party.

Johor follows Sabah as another warning sign.

Perhaps it’s time to stop looking for scapegoats and start listening more closely to what voters are trying to say.

PH has already received two yellow cards.

The question is whether it will make the necessary adjustments before voters decide to show the red card in GE16.  

Editor’s note: This opinion piece is adapted from a post originally published on Andrew Sia’s Facebook page. It has been edited for clarity, style and length while preserving the author’s views.

Andrew Sia is a retired journalist.

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

- Focus Malaysia