Pendirian PN terhadap pengampunan Najib uji prinsip Pejuang

Analysts suggest that conditional forgiveness for former Prime Minister Najib Razak may now be testing the principles of Pejuang. Asrul Hadi, deputy chairman of The Asia Group, noted that Pejuang now faces a test to uphold its principles as a new member of Perikatan Nasional (PN) after harshly criticizing Najib and acting as a party opposing corruption before.

He stated that opposing Najib and the politics culture linked to the 1MDB scandal is the basis for the establishment of Pejuang, setting it apart from other Malay-rooted parties. "If Pejuang only dilutes its anti-corruption stance to continue gaining access to PN's color, the party might survive organizationally but become irrelevant politically as voters no longer understand what they are fighting for," Asrul told FMT.

While acknowledging that Pejuang, established by former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 2021, is now weak and its defection from PN could make it less relevant in politics, Asrul warned that long-term ambiguity about the matter could cause some remaining Pejuang leaders and members to distance themselves. He also cautioned that the prolonged uncertainty might cause a small number of Pejuang leaders and members to distance themselves.

Pejuang's survival may be limited if cooperation between PN and Barisan Nasional (BN) occurs, as the outcome of any election is expected to favor Umno, PAS, and Wawasan Pembangunan Umno chairman Hamzah Zainudin. "Pejuang risks being seen as a fringe ally. The party needs to decide whether the access to PN's diverse electoral strength is worth sacrificing its identity and whether the top PN players really need Pejuang."

Under conditional forgiveness for Najib's supporters in the SRC International case, he is allowed to serve the remaining prison sentence at home if he pays a RM50 million fine, which has been reduced from the original RM210 million. Umno has launched a fund to help his former president pay the fine, while PAS said its branch believes Najib can still contribute to the nation even while serving house arrest.

Wawasan, on the other hand, said its branch is grateful for the decision to end the controversy surrounding Najib's forgiveness. However, Pejuang's Chief Spokesperson, Rafique Rashid Ali, urged clarification on the mechanism and conditions for the house arrest, warning it may not be granted only to the elite. Asrul characterized Rafique's statement as cautious, emphasizing Pejuang's stance on Najib without questioning the Perlembagaan Yang di-Pertuan Agong's power to grant forgiveness or directly confront PAS and Umno.

"He may also be testing how far Pejuang can maintain its independent identity within PN. Ultimately, the party needs to show whether it will uphold that stance when it comes with political consequences." However, Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid from Universiti Sains Malaysia said Pejuang needs to be more pragmatic in this matter, stressing the party's relevance and long-term existence as the key.

He said that staying with PN could allow Pejuang to win some parliamentary seats and possibly a seat in the cabinet if the coalition successfully forms and governs after the next general election. He added that all these factors determine the survival and relevance of a party. Fauzi said Pejuang's statement may not undermine relations with PAS or Umno as Mukhriz Mahathir is the Pejuang president and does not touch upon Najib's forgiveness.

"As long as Mukhriz remains silent on the matter, they should not encourage Pejuang to diverge from PN's official stance for now."