Bersatu Pas Marriage Creates Hybrid Option For Malays

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In the last general election, Bersatu undeniably relied on the leadership of then-party president Dr Mahathir Mohamad for much of its popularity nationwide.
Besides the grand appeal of the former premier, his successor Muhyiddin Yassin also boosted support for the party, in Johor particularly, although his currency appeared to be waning as Bersatu was - for the most part - wiped out in the recent Johor state polls this year by Umno.
On top of that, Bersatu has also seen high-profile members such as former ministers Maszlee Malik and Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman depart since the Sheraton Move in early 2020, while incumbent Ampang MP Zuraida Kamaruddin came and left as well.
Now, many are wondering what appeal remains of Bersatu - who will be facing the 15th general election against rival parties that share similar values and voter bases.
In an exclusive interview with Malaysiakini, we asked Bersatu Youth leaders what they felt was the party’s main selling point in the upcoming general election.
Bersatu Youth exco Harris Idaham Rashid, 30, conceded that in the 2018 general election, the party benefited from Mahathir’s leadership, describing him as a “huge figure” in the nation’s psyche, but nonetheless painted an optimistic picture.
Bersatu Youth exco Harris Idaham Rashid“We’d offer a very good option for the Malays because we are together with PAS. PAS is known to have a permanent vote base and a few stronghold states; we are complimenting that as well.
“I think the marriage between Bersatu and PAS creates a hybrid option for Malays because there are many types of Malay people out there - some are very Islamic, some are more liberal and some are in the middle of those two types,” he said, referencing PAS’ strong voter base in Kelantan and Terengganu.
“Bersatu appeals to a different side of the community. People who used to support Umno, people who aren’t Islamic-centric, now have an option (with Bersatu).
“I think with Bersatu going into the election with PAS, we can really shake Umno’s Malay stronghold,” he added.
Yesterday, it was revealed that Kelantan’s Bersatu candidates for the upcoming parliamentary election will use the PAS logo.
This will involve two Bersatu members - Mustapa Mohamed (Jeli) and Ikmal Hisham Abdul Aziz (Tanah Merah).
Fielding new faces
The Bersatu Youth exco member - whose involvement in politics began slightly over a decade in PKR - also likened Bersatu’s cooperation with Gerakan to Umno’s relationship with MIC and MCA.
“It depends on how you treat them in your position as people from MCA and MIC are saying that they are not treated fairly in BN, they always get breadcrumbs after they (Umno) have eaten all the good stuff.
“In Bersatu, we are giving Gerakan more space, more opportunities for them to step into the political scene. We feel that a good amount of their members used to be great but they had a hiatus for a while but now they’re returning to the scene,” said Harris, who added that the party provides equal opportunity to coalition members.
Negeri Sembilan Bersatu Youth leader Danni RaisAlso present at the interview was Negeri Sembilan Bersatu Youth leader Danni Rais.
According to Danni, while the results in Johor did not attain the desired results, the popular vote told a different story.
“At the same time, it also showed that we were way beyond our competitors in terms of fielding new faces.
“We fielded new faces, young faces. The promise was that we were going to show the talent that we have and I do believe that with GE15, there’s plenty of talk about doing the same. It's a mix and match,” he said.
Undi18
Current Muda president Syed Saddiq was one of the most notable leaders to have exited the party during the Sheraton Move. Prior to that, he had served as the youth and sports minister, where he had successfully pushed for the lowering of the voting age to 18.
The amendment will finally be in full effect this general election with it being first used in the Johor polls, albeit marred by low voter turnout.
Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman“I don’t think any party has been able to grasp this whole Undi18. This includes Muda for example. There are a lot of young people who are wondering, ‘Muda, great, all young people but what exactly are they fighting for?’
“Going back to political awareness, it’s not just the youth because I’ve spoken to some really old people who you’d think would be more aware of politics but they themselves don’t know what’s happening. It’s a whole spectrum.
“When people say, ‘Alah, budak muda. Tau ke tak?’ (These young kids, do they know anything?) but I think we’re actually disrespecting them (the youths). They’re the ones on social media 24/7. They have an inkling as to who they want (in politics) so of course, we are the ones who have to unlock that knowledge,” said 35-year-old Danni.
He stressed that lack of political awareness is an issue that crosses generational boundaries and that on average, there are at least 10,000 to 15,000 youth voters in every parliamentary seat nationwide.
“Staying relevant with the youth is going to be absolutely crucial this time around,” he said.
Serving the people
Ampang-based Harris detailed that his involvement in politics began in 2010 with now-Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) president Zuraida.
Coincidentally, both Harris and Danni studied law at the University of Aberystwyth, Wales.
Incumbent Ampang MP Zuraida Kamaruddin"I have stayed in Ampang for 29 years. Before politics, I was studying in the UK, I did my law degree in Aberystwyth. Danni was my senior there too. We didn’t cross paths but our alma mater is the same.
"Then I came back to UiTM Shah Alam for my master’s in law and went to the UK for my bar.
"I came back in 2017 and met Zuraida again. I’ve actually known her for ages, since 2010. I was a member of PKR since 2010. At that point, she had a vacancy for ketua pemuda (youth chief).
"She said she was going to appoint a caretaker as the new ketua pemuda for Ampang," said Harris, who is also a qualified mediator in civil and commercial disputes.
He described working in politics as his “first job” and feels that he "knows more about politics than the law now", toying with the idea of going into business in the future.
Danni, who is the son of veteran politician Rais Yatim, also spoke of his beginnings in politics - when he left corporate life to start a youth-centric NGO called Organisation for National Empowerment (ONE).
"It was pure charity work. I absolutely loved it, to the point where my parents said if you like serving people without any agenda, you ought to try politics. I was 25-26 then," he said, adding that he approached it reluctantly.
Danni also criticised those who enter the field as career politicians with a money-making mindset.
"For me, whether politics works out for me or not… am I too bothered? No, because I've always believed, ever since I was young, that politics shouldn't be the be-all-end-all. I cannot tahan (stand) seeing people who just do politics full-time.
"Their mind is just politics, get lots of money... It is still the mindset of a lot of youths these days: you go into politics to make money. I believe we need to have youth leaders who actually have working experience.
"I promised myself if you ever go into politics and you never want someone to say, 'He's so-and-so's son. Kerja dia politik kan?' (He's only into politics, right?). No, I have to pay my bills. I have to work hard for it. Even now with my (law firm), I have to go out and search for work," he said.
Rais YatimWhen asked if he struggles with the burden of carrying his father's name in politics, he said: "Every day, every day. Yes, it's not easy because he's a stalwart. He's been there for a very long time.
"Now, he holds a position as a Dewan Negara speaker so obviously, everyone would want to compare you. Everyone will think, ‘Well, if your dad is there, then you ought to go here’.
"We all have our own different characteristics and journeys. It's not copy-and-paste. So, yes, you are expected to perform because he's been there forever but at the same time, I'm 35, and I'm still learning how to step out of that shadow but also carry the name." - Mkini

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