GEORGE TOWN: Parti Bersama Malaysia (Bersama) is not a “Trojan horse” working on behalf of Barisan Nasional or PAS to defeat Pakatan Harapan, says Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli (pic).
"There are people saying Bersama is actually a Trojan horse, a good friend of Zahid Hamidi (Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi) and Sanusi (Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor), to destroy DAP and PKR.
“BN and PAS do not need an agent to defeat PH. They only need Anwar Ibrahim,” the Bersama chief said during Bersama's Jelajah Kancil event in Penang on Sunday (Aug 16) night.
Rafizi said Bersama was seeking to give voters a genuinely new political option rather than forcing them to choose between established parties based on fear or concerns over splitting votes.
He said the party wanted to introduce a new political approach centred on competence and integrity rather than race.
Rafizi said Malaysia’s major political parties were still relying on strategies developed decades ago despite significant changes in the country’s demographics, economy and society.
“We have reached a stage as a country and society where our problems can no longer be solved using the ways and thinking of the 1970s and 1980s,” he said.
Rafizi said Malaysia’s demographic profile would change significantly over the next two to three decades, with Malays and bumiputras making up an increasingly larger proportion of the population while the Chinese and Indian populations declined proportionately.
This, he said, required political parties to rethink race-based politics and develop an approach that could reassure Malaysians of all backgrounds that their interests would be protected.
“The antidote to the politics of Umno and PAS should be convincing Malay and bumiputra voters, especially the young, that race is not the answer,” he said.
Rafizi said voters should instead be convinced that the country needed leaders who were competent and had integrity, regardless of race.
“We need to ensure that whoever is chosen to lead the country is competent and has integrity, regardless of whether he is Malay, Chinese or Indian,” he said.
He said established parties repeatedly fell back on nostalgia and rallied their supporters whenever they faced difficulties instead of addressing problems confronting ordinary Malaysians.
These included the cost of living, healthcare and the needs of an ageing population.
“Every time they are in trouble, they rally the troops. That is politics,” he said.
Bersama co-leader Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said Bersama aims to offer Malaysians an alternative to race-based politics and political divisions, while taking a longer-term approach to building support.
“We know it will take longer. We expect that within five to seven years, we can reach that critical mass to challenge the major political parties in the country,” he said.
Nik Nazmi said Penang was particularly important to Bersama because the state had historically demonstrated its willingness to vote for political change.
He cited the 1969 election, when Gerakan made major gains in Penang, and the 2008 general election, when voters backed DAP and PKR.
He said Bersama hoped Penang voters would again consider a new political alternative amid concerns over the rising cost of living and the impact of rapid development.
“Development is visible and buildings are getting taller, but who is benefiting? Are Penangites benefiting or are the big business owners benefiting?” he asked.
Nik Nazmi said the question should be whether ordinary Malaysians, regardless of race, were benefiting sufficiently from the state's development.
