Can a teetering party unite the opposition?
PPBM should first ensure that it is itself united.
Nawar Firdaws, Free Malaysia Today
Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) started off with a bang, declaring that it aimed to take down the monolithic Barisan Nasional (BN).
That’s a huge ambition indeed. It requires surmounting the herculean task of getting all the opposition parties that now litter the political scene to come to some form of consensus. So far, it looks like no one can even calm the hatred that PAS has for DAP and Amanah and vice versa.
More basic to the issue, however, is PPBM’s own solidity. Barely four months after its inception, and even with a combination of experienced politicians and activists in its leadership ranks, the party has started to crack.
It did get off on a juicy start with allegations of a sexual liaison involving its president, Muhyiddin Yassin, but that soon petered off somewhat. However, a similar story was recently played against one of PPBM’s most recognisable figures, Anina Saadudin, making her the first casualty of the party’s internal politics.
While Muhyiddin’s alleged dirty laundry was aired by an outsider, blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin, Anina’s accuser came from within the party itself, allegedly a former aide of hers.
Last week, Anina claimed that she had been removed from her position as head of PPBM women’s wing because of the scandal, but PPBM leaders said this was not so. The party’s secretary-general, Shahruddin Md Salleh, said the wing was yet to be formed, and a supreme council member, Tariq Ismail, told FMT many in the party had complained that she was “aggressive and very confrontational”.
Tariq also said “activists do not make good politicians” and added that this was the cause of Anina’s downfall.
And last Friday, a source from within PPBM informed FMT that former senator Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor had left the party. More activists would soon follow suit, he added.
