Madness in strategising by the top levels in PKR and PH has led them to become deaf to what the voters want and they have been punished by the voters.
Former Pandan MP Mohd Rafizi Ramli, who is making a bid for PKR deputy president in the party’s upcoming polls, said today he disagrees with Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) “big tent” approach of uniting all parties that are against Umno-Barisan Nasional (BN) in order to win elections.
The PKR vice-president said this approach has been used in recent state elections but did not bring any results, and has, in fact, relegated PH to third place behind BN and Perikatan Nasional (PN).
“Even after past defeats, PKR and PH did not seek different strategies but kept repeating the ‘big tent’ approach to unite all parties so as to compete against Umno-BN,” Rafizi said in a statement on Facebook today.
“Now I am hearing that the PH presidential council is exploring this approach with PN for GE15 (15th general election).
“There are no signs that this ‘big tent’ approach has brought any results so far. Yet, it remains the only path that the PH leadership thinks about.
“The obsession with this political strategy is further alienating PKR and PH from the people.
“It is as though they have run out of ideas to regain public confidence.
When too much focus is given to forming coalitions, efforts to lift the sufferings of the people and offer solutions are ignored.”
Rafizi said PKR and PH should win back the hearts of the people with solutions that improved their lives, instead of blaming each other.
“But putting in such effort requires more work and is more tiring than talking at the negotiating table or in expensive restaurants about making political alliances.
“That is why I understand why it is easier to choose the path of political affiliation than to win the hearts of the people,” he said, adding that people have grown tired of this approach and was why he decided to return to active politics.
Rafizi was also critical of PKR for once believing that Umno would support a PKR candidate for prime minister.
This was likely a reference to PKR president Anwar Ibrahim’s regular claims that he had the numbers to become prime minister between 2020 and 2021 which turned out to be all untrue.
As for DAP, Rafizi said the party had often accused Bersatu of treachery but had no qualms “brokering” a confidence-and-supply agreement with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob of Umno and his predecessor Muhyiddin Yassin of Bersatu.
“I believe this madness in strategising by the top levels in PKR and Harapan has led them to become deaf to what the voters want and they have been punished by the voters.
Rafizi was elected the Pandan MP in 2013 and quickly made his name in Malaysian politics as a savvy, albeit temperamental politician, responsible for several exposés, most notably the government’s handling of the National Feedlot Corporation.
Towards the 2018 general election, he was widely regarded as a confidante and strategist for then PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
After the PKR leadership election in 2018, he withdrew from public view to focus on business and family, rarely commenting on politics.
Earlier report:
Mar 15, Rafizi to go for PKR deputy president post