Effecting changes via ballot papers alone would not bring about the desired reforms, a forum is told.
Its president says the party could have gone far on its own but insists it will not leave BN anytime soon.
(Free Malaysia Today) – The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) never benefited politically as a Barisan National (BN) coalition member, its president M Kayveas said.
He said the party had potential to grow and become more popular with the people if it had independently defended social rights.
“… PPP never benefited by being in the BN. As a political party, it could have grown very far,” he said during an interview with FMT Raw yesterday.
He added that the political scene back in the early 1970s was different, with very few opposition parties or NGOs besides the ruling regime.
Kayveas said should PPP continue to champion social rights, it would have grown as a political outfit.
“I grew up in a poor environment. I knew what poverty is. I have seen people with no food to eat, no place to sleep.
“PPP would have been a completely different party championing all these [issues],” he said.
But he added that financing the party as an independent force would have been difficult and so the party decided to join the ruling coalition and has never looked back since.
Loyal to BN
He also said that the PPP may be deemed by many as a “small player” in BN but the party was very active on the ground by constantly mobilising its supporters through activities.
“In terms of benefits in the [BN] political hierarchy, we didn’t benefit. People have always said that PPP has no position in the coalition and that we are a small player. But if you look at our activities on the ground through our various wings, we are better than other component parties,” he said.
However, when asked if he would leave the ruling coalition, Kayveas pledged his loyalty to BN, saying the party will have “no future other than BN”.
He said that PPP will only consider leaving BN if there is a viable opposition force.
“Many of my friends said that if PPP had pulled out after the 2008 general election, we would be somewhere else. But I have principles and character.
“If the opposition is better than BN, then we will immediately come out and join the party which can give something better,” he said.
But he added that a viable option is not available yet as the opposition today is insincere and merely interested in spreading slander and not formulating constructive policies.
“They [opposition] need to provide a vision… something they can provide for the future… not merely populist policies.
“But we don’t have future anywhere other than BN. If BN were to be the opposition, then we will be in the opposition as well because we still feel BN is a better choice. No reason for us to jump ship,” he said.
