A fight the opposition can’t afford
Rafizi wins nothing from a quarrel with Bersih.
Scott Ng, Free Malaysia Today
PKR bigwig Rafizi Ramli deserves some applause for coming up with a scheme to encourage youths to register as voters. However, because it is essentially an enticement involving money, Bersih and C4 has raised some questions about ethics, and Rafizi must now ask himself whether he is helping the opposition cause by continuing with the spat that has already started between him and these two influential NGOs.
He must keep in mind the precarious position of the opposition coalition. Pakatan Harapan has not been the inspiring, uniting force that it hoped to be and now faces the challenge of winning over sceptics as it attempts to bring on board Parti Pribumi Bersatu of Mahathir Mohamad and Muhyiddin Yassin, two politicians that many opposition supporters remain suspicious of.
That’s a challenge as large as any for Pakatan, which must now rebuild its image while retooling its approach for the next GE, now expected to be held in 2018.
So it must be asked: Is it wise to fight with Bersih and C4?
Although Bersih has failed to rally the Malay protest movement, it is one of the most credible organisations in the country among those opposed to Barisan Nasional. Bersih shares a large part of its following with the opposition and by and large helps feed the opposition with supporters and voters. It is the credibility of Bersih’s cause that attracts the opposition. It’s hard not to support its call for clean elections given the general negative opinion of elections in Malaysia.
This tiff between Rafizi and the two NGOs stands to benefit only the BN. Rafizi does not win any supporters, and Bersih’s own supporters may be appalled that not only is an opposition lawmaker essentially offering money for eligible voters to register, but also viciously attacking the NGOs by questioning the grants they depend on, subtly suggesting that paying oneself a salary from the grants may be just as questionable an act. That particular salvo will not likely be seen as a mere slip of tongue but as an attack by some, and as such presents a potential point of division between opposition supporters and those who merely do not support the government and its governance.
