Saifuddin abandons ship for uncertain shores
Umno’s last moderate finds a new home in PKR, but the party of Reformasi has it’s own share of problems
Scott Ng, Free Malaysia Today
And so, Umno’s last moderate casts his fate to the winds and defects to PKR. This came less as a surprise than as an eventuality. Saifuddin Abdullah’s migration is a win for the opposition, a signal that the moderates in Umno are hard-pressed to stomach the party’s excesses and see no means of recourse within the party structure to help right the ship.
Saifuddin will probably lose his cushy Global Movement of Moderates office in Damansara Heights, but such is the price for sticking to one’s principles. Muyhiddin Yassin paid a much heavier price for his daring.
Saifuddin’s choice of PKR must have caught some people off guard, but it makes sense given that Anwar Ibrahim’s party would probably be the best place for an Umno politician to transition. It would be comfortable, if nothing else, and if PKR is committed to promoting its shiny new asset, Saifuddin could see himself going places. Some social media enthusiasts are already telling Pakatan Harapan to front him as its candidate for Prime Minister.
And there, ladies and gentlemen, lies the problem. That call on social media shows us that opposition supporters themselves believe the new Pakatan needs a lot of guidance in its decisions. And who can blame them? The opposition, especially PKR, seems to be still immature, arguing and bickering even as Barisan Nasional sinks lower and lower in its political fortunes. In fact, PKR even now writhes in the throes of a power struggle that has spawned countless rumours of Rafizi Ramli’s impending removal from the role of party secretary-general. The factions in the party are far from done with each other, and that instability is what makes even students abroad ask, “Is Mahathir the real Opposition Leader?”
History also indicates that PKR may not be a good fit for bright-eyed progressive moderates. Remember Zaid Ibrahim’s entry into the party and his quick exit from it? But then, as Zaid himself has said, Saifuddin is a much better politician than he is, and may do well in PKR.
