Ousted 6 should get together in a new progressive party

Recent events in the past few weeks have made politics interesting again.

The sacking and suspension of Bersatu Supreme Council members Wan Saiful Wan Jan and Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal respectively is of great significance, considering the ramifications on how it could benefit the country.

Let’s put aside the fact that these two are not my favourite politicians, but they are both young, intelligent and progressive in their political outlook unlike other politicians who are racial or religious bigots.

Prior to the action taken against the two Wans, we witnessed the “ouster” of Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad from PKR’s top leadership, and who have since taken the party to task on numerous occasions.

Sure, unlike Wan Saiful and Wan Fayhsal, the two former federal ministers were banished during the PKR party elections, but they still find themselves outside the circle that wields power.

In 2022, former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and former information chief Shahril Hamdan, were sacked and suspended respectively.

Both were young and were viewed as progressive leaders who do not subscribe too much to racially-based rhetoric. Nor were they entrenched in Islamic reformist idealism.

The ousters of all these young, energetic, progressive politicians pose an important and significant question: can these six propose a new Malay-based political party that can usher a progressive narrative and arrest the prevalent ethno-religious centric ideologies that are detrimental to Malaysia?

Now, I am sure, there are those who would be puzzled as to why I am proposing yet another race-based party. Why not do away with the Malay and Islamic narrative which is so embedded in our politics altogether and have the country pivot back to the progressive idealism advocated by the likes of Tunku Abdul Rahman and Onn Jaafar?

The short answer is that Malays must see another Malay political entity before they would even think of giving up the cushy racial and religious based narratives.

The doctrine that Islam is under threat has long been shoved down the throat of Muslims, who are told they must unite to prevent the takeover of the country by non-Malays or risk seeing Malaysia becoming another Singapore, the other convenient bogeyman in our political landscape.

And more recently, a flawed parallel was drawn to the war in Gaza, with non-Malays being compared to Zionists taking the Malays, akin to the Palestinians in this context, for a ride.

It seems the old tactic of labelling non-Malays as “pendatang” is not enough, that they must now be painted as Zionist.

So, who is going to turn the Malays into a more progressive lot to save Malaysia and reposition the country into being the fiercest ‘tiger’ in Asean and even Asia?

On the current crop

Umno had the chance to reinvent itself after it was roped in to form the unity government following its resuscitation from its disastrous defeat after half a century in power.

God, or rather a hung parliament, had granted the party a golden opportunity to change, but I doubt it will.

Then there is the current strongest Malay party, Parti Islam SeMalaysia, or PAS.

PAS has the opportunity to bring in progressive Islamic Reformist politics to the Malays but in the past decade the leadership has opted to take a more Taliban-like route.

No progressive thinking there for the Malays.

Bersatu also had the opportunity to redefine what being a Malay is all about, but they are more preoccupied with who should be their poster boy for the next general election. Then again, it seems, Bersatu are unable or maybe unwilling to outshine PAS and step out of the Islamic party’s shadow.

And while Amanah, a PAS-splinter party, has what it takes to push new Islamic reformist ideals to the Malays and shed its cautious conservatism, it chooses to remain silent and rely heavily on PKR and DAP.

Maybe the party should just rebrand itself from Parti Amanah Negara to Parti Tumpang Negara.

‘Useless’ G70

I was at one time hoping that the G70 group of Malay professors would be the conscience that would reinvigorate the nation’s soul by educating Malays to be progressive and introducing the non-Malays to a new world of sustainable economics and social programmes.

But this entity kept mum and only drove home the point that professors need not necessarily be smart. G70 is completely useless to Malays and Malaysia.

Six ‘heroes’

So, now we have six Malay “heroes”, all veteran politicians, but who have issues with their own parties.

What are they waiting for? The stars have aligned and the planets have also followed suit.

Together with a veteran politician and strategist like Zaid Ibrahim, can this party put up a credible political force to show that Malays can change and that Malays can be the force of change for Malaysia?

To Wan Fayshal, Wan Saiful, Rafizi, Nik Nazmi, Khairy and Shahril, what are you guys waiting for? At the moment there is no way that you six can be taken back and re-enter the central leadership.

It’s time to separate the men from the mice.

Do Malaysia a favour, heed the Malay saying, “buang yang keruh dan ambil yang jenih” – kick out the outdated and irrelevant ways, and usher in new ideas and fresh idealism.

 

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