Membezakan politik matang dan mentah

In politics, it is said that the last 50 meters determine whether a team truly excels or not. This principle applies to the Malaysian Mixed Party (Bersama) as they prepare to test their strength in the upcoming PRN Melaka, before deciding their course of action for the 2016 General Election. In reality, joining the PRN Melaka would be a better option for Bersama.

Their decision not to contest in Negeri Sembilan, following poor performance in the PRN Johor, led the party to withdraw from the general election occurring roughly three weeks later. However, Bersama wishes to contest 15 seats in Melaka, a move that will pit them against PKR, DAP, and Amanah. This action is ill-advised. Bersama's main strength lies in Rafizi Ramli, who is indirectly perceived as a potential figure to take over the reformist movement from Anwar Ibrahim.

Many reformist supporters may accept Rafizi as the movement's successor when Anwar's time is up. With Anwar now 79 years old, questions about who will continue his legacy are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. PKR, too, lacks a clear successor to Anwar. Nurul Izzah Anwar, who has been seen for a long time as an unlikely replacement, has unexpectedly relinquished her deputy presidency position and withdrawn from the political spotlight.

This situation causes concern that the issue of a reformist movement's successor may need to be addressed anew. However, Rafizi and Bersama will not gain any benefit if their actions push away reformist supporters still in the Pakatan Harapan (PH) network. The PKR, DAP, and Amanah alliance within PH remains the cornerstone of the reformist movement.

While it is true that the movement has been losing momentum since Bersatu left PH in February 2020, followed by a group of PKR leaders led by Azmin Ali, the movement's backbone can still be reunited, and the reformist flag can be raised again. Rafizi is one of the most suitable figures to take on this role due to his sharp analytical skills and ability to simplify complex issues and communicate them to the general public.

Nonetheless, Rafizi must be cautious not to overestimate his abilities. He knows many things, but it doesn't mean he knows everything. Bersama should focus on seats they realistically have a chance of winning in the 2016 PRU. Their target could be around 10 out of the 31 parliamentary seats won by PKR in the 2015 PRU. When it comes to these seats, between four to six are held by PKR members inclined towards Rafizi, while four to six more are occupied by sitting MPs who are waiting for the dissolution of Parliament before declaring their support for Bersama.

Bersama's biggest challenge is ensuring they can retain the seats bound in the 2016 PRU. If they succeed, it will be a significant boost for Rafizi and solidify his position as a figure capable of reviving the reformist spirit. What Bersama must avoid is an overly proud approach seeking more seats, causing votes that should go to PKR, DAP, or Amanah to splinter.

Both parties are not entirely opposed to the reformist agenda, but they cannot be considered strong supporters of it at the same time. Bersama needs to ensure that the increased influence of Umno or PAS in national politics does not occur due to losses suffered by the broader group of parties supporting economic and institutional renewal.

Ultimately, the ability to understand the realpolitik with maturity becomes the distinguishing factor between those truly ready to lead the reformist struggle and those who are not yet mature enough. Terence Netto is a veteran journalist and FMT reader. This article is the writer's opinion and may not necessarily reflect FMT.