PETALING JAYA:One of the reasons former Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli chose to return to politics at this time is the worry that Pakatan Harapan has lost support from fence sitters.
In Saturday’s (March 19) interview programme, “Terus Terang Edisi Terpaling”, hosted on Facebook and moderated by Ledang MP and Johor PKR chief Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh, Rafizi and Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar answered questions on the changing political climate, rising needs of the public, and what the party will have to do to reclaim its position heading into the 15th General Election (GE15).
When asked why he chose to return now, instead of before the Johor, Melaka or Sarawak state elections, Rafizi raised his concern that Pakatan Harapan is losing the battle to win over fence-sitters, who will ultimately become the kingmakers.
“A lot of my work before was not so much focused on Pakatan voters, but a lot of the work centered on voters on the fence. If there is any contribution that I can give during this short time before the general election, the time is now for me to provide assistance which may prove helpful,” he said.
Pointing out a political situation in which three coalitions are vying for power – Barisan Nasional, Perikatan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan – Rafizi explains that oftentimes in the dynamic of coalition politics, in which there are more than two coalitions, the choice of voters will be focused on the two top parties, while the third will be pushed to the side, such as is seen in the United Kingdom.
In this case, Rafizi warned against national politics which are monopolised by two coalitions without much difference in principles and in their offering to the public; for example, having two Malay-focused coalitions dominating the political arena.
“They will compete on which coalition can be more Malay. Whereas to address policy, economic and technological challenges that are far more complex now compared to five or ten years ago, we need competition at the top level between coalitions that are very different from one another. We need a progressive coalition so that people can make a choice. If not, voters and especially fence sitters, will only have two choices,” he explains.
He said that studies and simulations carried out during the Johor polls on nearly 40,000 fence-sitters revealed that a large majority, especially Malay voters, would sway their votes towards Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional, over Pakatan Harapan.
“At that time, I observed and based on data, after two to three years and after a few series of state elections, Pakatan Harapan has lost the support of the fence-sitter vote. It is no longer a question of strategy or having made a few mistakes. It is deeper than that. It is a question of narrative. And if this is not remedied, Pakatan Harapan may find itself in third place during the next general election,” he said.
On Tuesday, Rafizi announced his return to politics and confirmed he would be contesting for PKR’s deputy president post in the coming party election. Rafizi formerly helmed the PKR vice-presidency before leaving politics in December 2019.